Love, in English

Love, in English #1

by Karina Halle

He’s thirty-eight. I’m twenty-three.

He speaks Spanish. I speak English.

He lives in Spain. I live in Canada.

He dresses in thousand-dollar suits. I’m covered in tattoos.

He’s married and has a five-year old daughter.

I’m single and can’t commit to anyone or anything.

Until now. Because when they say you can’t choose who you fall in love with, boy ain’t that the f*#king truth.

***

To a restless dreamer like Vera Miles, it sounded like the experience of a lifetime. Instead of spending her summer interning for her astronomy major, she would fly to Spain where she’d spend a few weeks teaching conversational English to businessmen and women, all while enjoying free room and board at an isolated resort. But while Vera expected to get a tan, meet new people and stuff herself with wine and paella, she never expected to fall in love.

Mateo Casalles is unlike anyone Vera has ever known, let alone anyone she’s usually attracted to. While Vera is a pierced and tatted free spirit with a love for music and freedom, Mateo is a successful businessman from Madrid, all sharp suits and cocky Latino charm. Yet, as the weeks go on, the two grow increasingly close and their relationship changes from purely platonic to something…more.

Something that makes Vera feel alive for the first time.

Something that can never, ever be.

Or so she thinks.

Genres: Romance, New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Forbidden Love, Adult, Sports

456 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 20, 2014

About the author

Karina Halle is a screenwriter, former music & travel journalist, and the New York Times bestselling author of Grave Matter, Blood Orange, & The Royals Next Door, as well as 80 other romances across all sub-genres, ranging from spicy rom coms to gothic horror and dark fantasy. Needless to say, whatever you're into, she's probably written an HEA for it.

When she's not traveling, she, her husband, and their pup Perry, split their time between a possibly haunted 120 year-old house in Victoria, BC, and their condo in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies · Rating 1 out of 5]

He slowly turned around. “What is love? In English.”
I raised my brows. “Love, in English, is love?”
“What is it in Spanish?”
I was so enthralled by his hypnotic eyes, I could barely remember. “Amore?”
He shook his head ever so slightly. “No. Love in Spanish is you.”

I got to hand it to Mateo, when you have a successful hit line, milk it for all it's worth.

This is not a contemporary romance. It is a fairy tale, a fantasy in which adultery is not only accepted but condoned and encouraged by everyone involved (except, naturally, for the unfortunate wife and child). Were this not a book, with predictable, expected elements of falling in love, we would be reading about the sad tale of a naive, broken young woman with daddy issues who got used up and spit out by an older, wiser, manipulative sports celebrity who knew just what to say to get her to spread her legs and open her heart.

There are certain elements of romance I dislike, but which I can appreciate when done well, adultery is one of them. I do not like adultery, but I read this book knowing that there will be cheating. I did not start this book thinking I would hate it, I started this book with an open mind, but since this is a premise I do not like, I expected certain things out of it in order for it to convince me to support the couple involved:

I wanted it to:
1. Show me a well-drawn, realistic, and believable romance
2. Show me that there is more beyond this relationship beyond that of lust and insta-love
3. Show me that there is actual love involved beyond the superficial
4. Show me why I should condone these two

This book did none of the above. It did nothing to convince me that, outside of the fairy-tale fantasy of a book, that this relationship could have existed. It was not realistic.

"Well, Khanh, why did you read a fucking romance novel if you wanted things to be realistic, then?!" Because I expect SOME elements of realism in my contemporary novels. Otherwise, I would be reading Harlequins with titles like THE BILLIONAIRE MMA BIKER SURGEON SHEIK'S ACCIDENTAL TWIN DAUGHTERS WITH THEIR BUNNY DOLLS or something like that. I wanted this book to be believable, is that too much to ask?

The Setup: Unrealistic and improbable. Vera is a 23-year old college astronomy student. She is in Spain, she is enrolled to work as an English speaker for a program that will immerse native Spanish speakers with English for several weeks. She doesn't speak a word of Spanish, and therefore runs late to the bus. When she gets to the bus, there is only one seat available. The one next to darkly handsome, world-famous Mateo Casellas.

Ok, some problems with that.

1. Why the fuck is the handsome, world-famous (think retired Spanish David Beckham who now owns several famous Spanish restaurants) Mateo SITTING ALL BY HIMSELF in a country where everyone knows who he is?!

2. Why the fuck is Mateo in this school in the first place? He speaks fluent Spanish, as Vera points out herself. He wants to learn to speak better English because people look down on businessmen who can't speak English well.

Ok, understandable, BUT there are some more problems with that.

1. Granted, we can't see the accent within the page, but Mateo speaks almost flawless English. My English is pretty damn perfect, and there are but few flaws in the way Mateo speaks within the book. He lacks some pop culture words, some slangs, but otherwise, his English is wonderful. As for slangs, well, shit, a book could take care of that, don't you think? It would certainly waste less time.

2. His wife speaks fluent English. Why not get her help?! Arg!

The thing about this book, is that in a realistic world, Mateo and Vera wouldn't have met in the first place, because Mateo has no need of Vera's English skilllllz!

Vera:

The thing was, I didn’t do love. That wasn’t my thing. That was the reason why I didn’t date, I only got laid when I needed to blow some steam or have some fun. Love was scarier than deep space.

Could have fooled me. Vera: the troubled young woman who vows never to fall in love---only to fall in insta-lust and then love---with Mateo before 30% of the book is even through. A walking cliche. A clinical psychologist's dream patient, because man, is there a lot to psychoanalyze here. Troubled childhood doesn't even begin to describe it. Vera has been doing drugs since she was barely in high school. She sleeps around, she doesn't really care about her family besides her brother, she doesn't care about anyone, or anything...and nobody really cares about her either.

The thing with Vera is she's had a string of really, really incompetent boyfriends and easy lays, none of whom ever sees beyond the superficial, none of whom ever cared about her. She's only ever had really, really stupid boys. It takes a mature, wise, manipulative man like Mateo all of five minutes of DEEEEEEEEP QUESTIONING INTO HER SOUL to make her feel like she's the center of the universe. He gets her to talk about herself, her wishes, her dreams. It takes SO LITTLE effort on his part to make Vera melt into a puddle of love-goo.

“You are special, Estrella,” Mateo said, his eyes softening as he gazed at me.

Vera is an astronomy student. Mateo starts nicknaming her "Estrella," meaning "Star" in Spanish. She thinks it's the most wonderfully romantic thing EVER.

What a disappointment. I wanted Vera to be harder to seduce.

Mateo:

“Ugly?” Mateo said in fervent disbelief. “No. You are terribly beautiful, Vera. So beautiful that it hurts. You would outshine her like the star you are.”

A suave Spanish lover. One who knows just what to say, what buttons to push, in order to seduce a girl. Especially one so obviously broken and damaged as the tattooed, tough, blunt, hard-spoken Vera.

In this fairy-tale world, he falls in love, improbably so, I feel. In the real world, this could have ended in Vera's broken heart. Of course, the book is set up so that Mateo falls madly in love for Vera, but were it not for the book's very obvious setup of that scenario, I would not have believed it.

Mateo's romantic words to Vera are lovely, exquisite, and ever-so-rehearsed. They are lines from a romance novel, a movie, the sort that Nicholas Sparks would have been proud to author.They are too smooth, they are too much, they are completely unbelievable...given this man is supposed to NOT have been fluent in English, remember?

“You already are the other woman!” he yelled right back. His words smashed into me, blowing me to smithereens. He cupped my face in his hands. “You already are, whether you want to be or not. You’ve bewitched me, Vera. You’ve blinded me. You’ve made me forget my vows. And all you had to do was shine.”

Spare me. Mateo's lines are that of an experienced seducer, one who, for all we know, could have come to the school every few months to have an affair alone. God knows it's commonly done here, since others in the group have obviously confessed to having love affairs in this "school." It's not a school, it's an expensive rendezvous point.

The Affair:

“Well…you’re married,” I said unevenly, wishing my heart would slow the fuck down, feeling completely exposed even in the dark of night.
“And so are many of them.”
“It would be inappropriate...”
“How do you know? Is this inappropriate?”

From the very moment that Vera and Mateo lay eyes on each other, they, well, want to lay each other. I wanted a slow introduction, I wanted more depth than just insta-love and insta-lust. I didn't get that. Mateo and Vera are intensely attracted to each other, they constantly flirt, touch. Mateo is horny for Vera. Vera gets her panties wet for Mateo. That's fine! There's nothing wrong with insta-lust, but it doesn't convince me that this is a relationship that has any depth beyond that. And it is an affair. Mateo has been wearing a wedding ring since the beginning.

Initially, he refuses to talk about his wife. But he's still married.

He insinuates a difficult relationship with his wife. But he's still married.

We don't know what his wife is like. She could be a bitch (she's not). Regardless of what kind of personality she has, he's still married.

He flirts with Vera. He's still married.

They fuck. He's still married.

They carry on a long-distance relationship. He's still married.

The Legacy of Adultery:

I shook my head adamantly. “It’s wrong. I don’t want to be the other woman. I’ve seen my dad go for the other woman, I can’t put his daughter through that,” I said. “Or his wife,” I quickly added.

Yes. It's wrong. And her moral dilemma lasts all of 5 seconds.What hurts about Vera is that she's no stranger to cheating. I wanted this book and Vera to address the morality issue, and it doesn't do it very well. Yeah, she reminds herself that he's married, she should stay away, but then Mateo makes her tinklies tingle so much that she can't really stay away for more than an hour. It goes that way throughout the book. It's wrong! I'm doing it anyway. I can't help myself. The internal moral deliberations are rare, indeed.

Vera's dad cheated on her mother. It turned Vera's childhood into a nightmare, it destroyed her family, it changed her personality, her life. Vera knows well the implications of adultery, and she does it anyway. Vera's boyfriend in high school cheated on her consistently. She knows how much pain that entails, to suffer while your loved one is cheating on you. She does it anyway.

If this book wanted me to sympathize with Vera, it would have done a better job of making me feel Vera's pain, hurt, her desperation to try to stay away from Mateo. The thing is, VERA NEVER TRIES REALLY HARD AT ALL. Neither does Mateo. Their relationship didn't feel like one of love, it's one based off lust, that stays focused on lust, and we're supposed to accept the fact that they're in love without much evidence.

The Other Woman (Mateo's Wife): I don't care if she's the biggest bitch in the world, she doesn't deserve to be cheated on until their divorce and separation has been finalized. We're supposed to hate The Wife because she tried to change Mateo from a playboy soccer diva to a decent husband.

"But Isabel convinced him to give it all up. To get away from the lifestyle she considered too wild.”
“Wild?”
She smirked. “Oh yes. Our players are known for being a little wild and crazy. Lots of sex and fights and drinking. Mateo was no different than the rest. And Isabel, with her Duchess grandmother and her socialite status, she didn’t want that."

*crickets chirp*

Wait a minute, so we're supposed to hate The Wife because she wanted Mateo to be something 90% of the world's wives want of their husband?! IS THAT SO FUCKING WRONG TO NOT WANT YOUR HUSBAND TO CHEAT ON YOU, TO DO DRUGS, TO PARTY, AND INSTEAD SPEND TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY? I HAD NO FUCKING IDEA. I can't say that I hate The Wife at all, and in order for me to condone this affair, I should have some reason to hate the wife, to feel that Mateo is correct in seeking love elsewhere.

He doesn't.

This book has completely failed to convince me to support the adulterous affair of Vera and Mateo. No, thank you.

[Karina Halle]

"The heart is wild - isn't that what rib cages are for?"

I heard that quote the other day and it made me realize how much it relates to this book. Because the heart doesn't listen to reason nor does it want to be tamed. The heart is made to love and it will love whoever it fucking pleases.

Your heart has an open mind...and coming into this story, you should too.

This isn't horror.

This isn't scary (although love is terrifying).

This isn't suspenseful or paranormal.

This is real life.

Real life is about heartbreak. About finding yourself and finding others in the most inconvenient circumstances.

It's about taking risks, taking chances, and learning to fly.

It's about giving it all on uncertainty.

This IS real romance.

And because it is real, it isn't safe.

It hurts.

I hope you'll join Vera and Mateo's story.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Estrella Stars!

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Love is powerful. Love can pull people together and tear people apart. Love has no time limit, no regard for age, religion, race or social/economic status. Love is just love. You can’t control when you fall or who you fall in love with. Sometimes, it just happens.

Vera and Mateo’s story isn’t easy to read. It can be difficult for some readers to read about cheating. Especially when it’s cheating within a marriage. I guess this is a disclaimer, but I really hope it doesn’t sway people against reading this beautifully written, emotional story.



Our heroine, Vera has never really been in love. She is on her way to Spain, and love is the last thing on her mind. As a twenty three year old astronomy student from Canada, she will be working with Spanish speaking men and woman looking to brush up their English skills. 4 weeks at Las Palabras and her life is changed forever. Meeting Mateo changes her life forever.



Mateo is a thirty eight year old business man. He’s a retired pro soccer player and he is married with a small child. Mateo isn’t out to find a woman. That’s not on his mind when he goes to Las Palabras to brush up on his English. Mateo’s life has changed drastically since he got injured and married his wife. It’s like the life has been sucked out of him. He’s not the same person he once was.

“You will see. Sometimes you are stuck being the person you are and not the person you were. Or could be.”

But when he meets Vera, he can’t resist her. There is something about this vibrant woman that gives him hope. Makes him feel like his old self again. Mateo and Vera start developing a friendship, slowly building into more. Both fight their feelings for so long. Especially Vera. She portrays herself as a villain, she feels terrible for falling for this married man, but she never sought out to do it. She denies her feelings for so long. But sometimes, you can’t help who you fall in love with, or how fast you fall.

“You can’t fall in love in a week.”


“You can fall in love in a second. The heart has no regard for time.”

So we have a younger woman and a married older man. From two totally different worlds. Both know it is close to impossible to be together, but how can you fight something so strong? Is real true love really wrong?

“Estrella, I have never wanted anyone, anything, quite like I want you.”


And what happens when the four weeks are over with?

“There will be nights where you will feel alone and lost, where I will feel alone and lost. When that happens, I want us both to remember this, right now. Bring our thoughts back to this room, this moment. Where we aren’t lonely. Where we both are found.”

As much as I loved Mateo, strangely enough, Vera was my favorite of the characters. She was far from perfect, but she was real. And deep down a good person. She was in a complicated and difficult situation and handled it the best way she knew how. I was actually proud of her for certain choices she made down the line. She was a strong heroine who was really likable to me. Mateo was sweet, sexy and swoony. There were times I questioned him actions, but by the end, he won me over.

Karina Halle’s writing is fresh, original and full of emotion. I felt the angst, the heart ache and the pain. But there were also splashes of humor, lots of love, friendship, and beauty.

Forbidden romances are my favorite. This was one of the best contemporary romances I’ve read lately. Even though the story line was somewhat controversial, it’s a story I would highly recommend to everyone.



*ARC kindly provided by author in exchange for honest review.*

[Amy | Foxy Blogs · Rating 5 out of 5]

**PRICE DROP**
75% off - $.99-> http://amzn.to/1kqKPLm
11/1/2014
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"For as long as man has been around, he has felt governed by the stars. But I do not believe this to be true. The stars may place us in each other's paths... Perhaps we were all fated to meet, to be here with each other - but it is up to us to decide to shine or not. The stars are not unreachable. They are not untouchable. and they do not control us. ... Design your own universe, make your own stars, write your own stories and create your own destiny." - Mateo

Love In English is a love story of another kind where love tears families apart and guilt threatens to destroy everything in its path. It begs the question is love worth it?

Vera is a college student on summer break who takes the opportunity to spend a month in Spain teaching English to professional minded Spaniards who need to improve their language skills for the international business world.

Mateo is a respected athlete and business owner who happens to also be a dad and husband. His heart belongs to his young daughter but he no longer has feelings for his wife.

Love, in English felt very authentic, like I was reading a real life story instead of a work of fiction. In preparation for the infidelity I knew to expect, I started creating acceptable scenarios in my mind that would justify Mateo's infidelity. My heart wanted a painless situation but being true to herself Ms. Halle never once took the easy road as the story unfolded. The gamut of emotions I felt, from the prologue to the epilogue, left me totally engrossed with Vera & Mateo's unconventional love story.

"What is love? In English?" -Mateo
"Love, in English is love...." -Vera
"What is it in Spanish?" -Vera
"Love in Spanish is you." -Mateo

The story behind this picture; when my paperback arc arrived in the mail, my son came up with the idea to make me look like the book cover. I convinced him that his sister would be a better model. He deserves all the credit because it was his idea plus he took the picture and did the editing.

Standalone
Release date: April 22, 2014

***Thank you, Karina Halle, for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.***

[Alejandro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Believe it or not, I needed like a day after reading the novel to decide the rating and how to aproach my review.

I already read some novels by Karina Halle and I really like her writing style, character designing, background research for stories, etc...

I really like Karina Halle as author and I definitely will read more of her works.

So, I hope that my rating and review about this particular novel won't mislead you about my opinion about Karina Halle's work and even my overall reading experience about this book.

Okay, here we go...

First, I knew so early about this incoming book and since I already knew Karina Halle's work, I didn't bother to check the synopsis of the novel. In my case, now I realize that I should.

And no, it's not because this is a full romance novel without any paranormal stuff like in the books that I have already read by her. I like romance. I think dumb that cliché about men don't read romance. True, I haven't read as much full romance novels as I have watched full romance movies (I mean material with only romance in the story without any other stuff like sci-fi, horror, fantasy, etc...). However, I trust myself to be able to enjoy reading as such.

I can deal with psychotic serial killers, despotic dictators, dreadful monsters, cruel supervillains, etc... BUT I can't deal with cheating married parents. Really, I can't deal with that, even worse if they aren't the antagonist but the romantic interest of the leading protagonist.

Being a cheating married person is already really bad in my book, BUT being that and also having kids and still being cheating their spouses with a third one is totally disgusting and inexcusable. Really. There isn't any valid excuse. Go, get a divorce and then, and only then, you can go and seeing/dating/having sex with anyone you like. Since, if you still are married, you aren't respecting your spouse but even worse, you are hurting your kids' feelings. When the offsprings are already adults isn't still a good situation but at least everybody is adult now and they can discuss it as adults. However, when the children are still that, children, if some of the parents (usually the father) is having trouble with his/her spouse, first they should deal with the divorce, explain as best as possible to their kids that they will going to separate, and then, and only after that, they can go and trying to find someone to love. Yes, I understand that everybody deserves to be happy on life, but they took vows and they took the responsability to have children and giving the most happy infancy possible.

Vera Miles (yes, like the Hitchcock's film's actress) is a truly great character. She is the leading protagonist of the novel. Her reactions and doubts through the story were the reasons to make her my anchor to keep reading the novel. She is "the other woman" but she shows a totally believable escenario of how a good girl can be ending involved in a very awful situation.

My troubles were with Mateo Casalles. The romantic interest of Vera. He is married and he has an under-age daughter. So, reading how he didn't hesitate to engage in romantic courting with Vera was disgusting. Revolting each time. Also, there are details on his behavior that it didn't give good vibes at all. I don't know if Karina Halle plans to write any sequel to the novel but I was truly suprised that he didn't do something really awful in the story. I detected all the signals of over jealous guy with dangerous potential to become violent. Also, he seems to be a controlling man that likes to say the last word on each decision of his women. I think that his real troubles with his wife were due that certainly the wife seems to be someone totally independent person and that's why Mateo was unhappy on his marriage. And finally, I have the impression too that Mateo was unfaithful more times before knowing Vera, so, I am not sure if Mateo would remain faithful to anyone. "Dog who likes to eat eggs..."

Also, I think that the creation of the character of Mateo was overwhelming... Handsome (no trouble in that, except cases like Beauty and the Beast, the men in romance novels are handsome), Rich, owning a line of restaurants (some trouble since he doesn't only have money, but a LOT of money, but okay, cool), and Former Soccer Star???!!! (superficiality alert!!! superficiality alert!!!)

I don't think that Vera would need all that to find her soulmate at some moment of her life. Sure, I understand that it's a novel and women like to dream about the perfect man. Let's try the opposite case... if you would read about a young adult guy falling in love with a woman, fifteen years older than him, attractive, rich and also a former super model... would you believe that it's true honest love? I don't know, maybe I lost the point. But honestly, I don't think that you would need all that to find your soulmate. I know that I didn't at least.

There are some really good secondary characters, some seem to be kinda jerks but they say relevant things that they need to be said, definitely in the wrong way for the wrong reasons, but at the end, they need to be said. Others are just jerks. There are some real good friends and allies. And some characters are just fillers.

Trying to close the review. The book is very good written. Karina Halle is such gifted writer. Read the synopsis of the novel. And if you don't have any trouble with romantic stories starting in an adultery status, then maybe this is just your book.

Honestly, I don't intend to affect the sales of the novel.

And I know that I still want to keep reading Karina Halle's works.

[Emily May · Rating 1 out of 5]

I should probably mention that I love Karina Halle. I think she's a classy, kickass lady who has had to deal with a large amount of internet trolls, but has always remained kind and respectful to all her readers. Second, I should say that I love the way she creates flawed, realistic and slightly unlikable characters but makes you love them anyway. I was addicted to her Sins & Needles trilogy, to the point where I obsessively watched out for the release dates. And I will still buy everything Halle writes. I want you to know all of this before I get on to the actual review.

Because this book just didn't work for me.

Or the majority of it didn't, anyway. It was one of those books that I was holding out for, trying to reach the point where I would fall in love and become absorbed in the story and the characters' lives, but that point never came. The chemistry and magic just wasn't there. It started with a main character that didn't steal my heart like Halle's other characters have, and then it just got worse the more I read. When we got to the cheating, I just didn't care anymore. Not even because I despise cheating - which I do - but because of the ridiculous, unbelievable way it was handled.

Normally, I would describe Halle's books as anything but formulaic. That's why she appeals to me from a genre that I often have nothing but disdain for. Romance is almost always formulaic, cliched and recycled. The characters are the same people with different names and the deja angst just about kills me. Not with Halle. Not usually. Because she isn't afraid to push the boundaries of likability with morally questionable characters (but not in the typical douchey bad boy way) and she loves grit and sarcasm (like all the best people do). But that is where this book goes wrong.

The main character is Vera. She's your regular, boring romance heroine with standard issues. She falls in instaobsession with a married dude called Mateo. He's a super rich and super pretty-faced and super boring piece of perfection. Where have I seen this before? Oh yes, in EVERY SINGLE ROMANCE NOVEL.

Quite frankly, I found Mateo to be a creepy creep of Creepsville. He doesn't speak very good English, apparently, except that he does. A few words are thrown in that he doesn't understand, so the reader can see that he is such a bad English speaker... but then the rest of the time he appears to be fluent. Plus, he calls Vera "Estrella", which is Spanish for "star". I risk sounding like a thirteen year old for saying this... but EWWW.

Then there's the cheating.

You have to be seriously careful when you include cheating in romance books. It has to be handled sensitively and you have to be able to understand the characters, even if you never fully agree with what they do. But that never happens here. Vera didn't convince me that her daddy issues were a good enough excuse for her actions. The poor characterisation of Mateo's wife just left me feeling annoyed at Vera and Mateo, rather than sympathetic towards their relationship.

This book was a failed attempt at trying to turn cheaters into characters we love and care about. I felt nothing for them from start to finish.

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[SueBee★bring me an alpha!★ · Rating 5 out of 5]

★★★★★! Love, in English, book 1 of 2. Sometimes the heart falls in love despite your better judgment! An against-all-odds romance!

“You and I, we were always a memory in the making.”

Books should be read in order:
Book 1: Love, in English
Book 2: Love, in Spanish

Love, in English (book 1) introduces us to astronomy student, Vera Miles, Estrella as she is heading to Madrid, Spain to spend a month teaching English to business executives at a remote resort. On the bus she meets ex-soccer star and restaurateur Mateo Casalles and a friendship is formed.

They are polar opposites, with a significant age gap, from different continents, the odds stacked against them. But more importantly Mateo is married, albeit unhappily so, and has a young daughter. Despite their better judgment a platonic, but intense romance slowly build during their month together offering tantalizing sexual tension until they succumb to their desires. When their time is up they must return to their lives and face decisions whether this is something they can or even should pursue.

“The heart has no regards for what’s right or wrong.”

The story goes go onto follow them in the aftermath of their brief affair – a bumpy road ahead as Mateo and Vera must deal with guilt, demons from their pasts, their current situations and also do some soul searching. Add to that the opinions and prejudices around them and you have a roller-coaster of events and emotions… keeping us guessing until the very last page.



Seven words to describe Mateo Casalles: Charismatic, reflective, lovable, respectful, possessive, private and commanding.



Seven words to describe Vera Miles, Estrella: Sweet, insecure, smart, reflective, self-destructive, indecisive and broken.

Love, in English was to me a very realistic glimpse into the ups and down of an affair. Story left Mateo and Vera in a good place, but I couldn’t help wishing for an epilogue further into the future. Imagine my joy at discovering that a second book has been announced later this fall. I look forward to Mateo’s POV in book 2, Love, in Spanish .

Controversial plot! Excellent story-telling! Sexy and oh so sweet hero, Mateo Casalles! Realistic and lovable characters throughout!

“I would have found you. You burn too brightly to be missed.”

***
Hero rating: 5 stars
Heroine rating: 4 stars
Sexual tension rating: 5 stars
Sex scenes rating: 4.5 stars
Sex scenes frequency: 4 stars
Plot rating: 5 stars
Dialogue rating: 5 stars
Storytelling rating: 5 stars
Story ending rating: 4.5 stars
Book editing rating (5 = no edits spotted): 5 stars
************************************************
Overall rating: 5 stars

Would I recommend this book: Yes.
Would I re-read this book: Maybe later.
Would I read future books by this author: Yes.

[Lucia · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Vera and Mateo:

"My name is Vera Miles.
And in the story of my life, I am the villain.
But I’m starting to think that most villains aren’t evil – they are just misunderstood.
Or victims of that most manipulative force: love. "

We don't choose love. Love choses us, attacks us, surprises us when we least expect it. You cannot ignore love, you cannot simply turn your back on love when it comes to your life. Vera Miles knows it the best and this is her story to tell. Don't judge, read it. Just remember that nothing comes without consequences or sacrifice...

Even within otherwise worn out genre of contemporary romance, Karina Halle was able to come up with new, fresh and engaging background story. English language practicing camp for adults where bunch of strangers lived together in Spanish countryside like a family was a great set up for intense interactions and funny situations. Add forbidden love, slow burn romance, thoughtfully written characters and you get this powerful story that will stay with me forever.

"Love was scarier than deep space."

Love, In English is realistic and beautifully emotional love story. It is a character-driven book that made Ms. Halle’s writing style stand out and shine.This book will make you feel everything from laughing, swooning and lusting, to being depressed, anxious and on the verge of panic attack. Karina Halle played with my emotions like a master puppeteer in this novel. It was, without the doubt, my best reading experience of this year.

For some poeple, subject matter may be a taboo topic. Married guy with kid and young college student? Karina Halle mastered it tastefully. Vera was strugling with her feelings, resisting, never shamelessly going for Mateo. No matter how much she wanted him. Did I see her as villain, as a bad person? Never. She was just a human being who found herself in a tricky life situation. Same goes for Mateo. He was just a loving, passionate man looking for real hapiness in his life, trying not to hurt anyone in the process. I cannot fault him for that.

“Love is like a thief, it robs you of all thought and logic and all you have left is a heart that you can only pray is strong enough to survive the rest.”

Age difference, different life-style, appearence... At first sight, Vera and Mateo seem like the biggest possible opposites. But when I got to know them better, got to know their fears, dreams and passions; it was clear that they would be a perfect fit. Plus chemistry between those two was off the charts! Gradually, I found myself falling in love not only with Vera and Mateo as individual characters, but also with them as a "couple". By the end of the book I was so strongly connected with both of them, that it felt like I was right there in the story, experiencing all feelings, hopes and heartbreaks alongside Vera and Mateo. And that is exactly how a great love story should make you feel like.



Do not hesitate to pick this book up when it is out. I cannot recommend it enough!

*ARC provided by author as an exchange for honest review*

MORE REVIEWS ON MY BLOG Reading Is My Breathing

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

★★★★★ 5 Brightly Shining stars! ** Love, in English is now LIVE on Amazon.

"You are my star. You are my Estrella."

I should start of by saying that I am a huge fan of Karina Halle's work. She never disappoints. Still, I was a bit nervous about starting this book. Mainly because of the angst and emotions I thought it would evoke and the slightly taboo subject matter. Of course I should have known better; there was no need to worry because once again Karina delivers an absolute winner. This time it's not a horror or action-based story but a pure contemporary romance novel with a forbidden love element, but it was no less gripping or captivating than any of her previous work.

Love, in English is a wonderfully crafted, thought provoking, exhilarating read with endearingly flawed characters, a strong plot and a refreshing setting. It's a story about true love and what people are willing to sacrifice in order to hold on to it.

"What is love? In English."
"Love, in English, is love. What is it in Spanish?"
"Love in Spanish is you."

"My name is Vera Miles.
And in the story of my life, I am the villain."

Vera Miles is a 23 year old Canadian astrology student. With her pierced, tattooed up body and her playful, adventurous personality she often manages to capture the attention of the wrong kind of crowds. They think she's a beauty with no brains, but there's so much more to her than what meets the eye. When she decides to take on a job teaching adult Spaniards English, all she wanted was to take on an adventure, see new places and meet new people. Little did she know that one month spent in Spain, would turn out to be such a life-changing experience.

"Sometimes you are stuck being the person you are and not the person you were. Or could be."

Mateo Cassales is a 38 year old Spanish ex-soccer player, businessman and father to a 5 year old girl. He's also married, but not happily. He's charming, charismatic and breathtakingly handsome but his married status makes him strictly off limits. Still, he and Vera immediately hit it off on the bus ride to the resort where the language course takes place and as the days pass, the two of them get to know each other on a much deeper level.

When she tells him about astrology and her passion for stars, a new world opens up for him in which he wants to start over and create his own new universe. Preferably with Vera as the center of it. He's drawn to her and her unique view of life. He's never met anyone like her and he's enraptured by her beauty, both inside and out.

"You keep saying we are impossible," he said. "But you don't have enough faith. You have faith in the stars, but not in us."

Vera and Mateo's story is one with many bumps along the road. Their connection hits fast but their love grows slowly and delicately. When you chose love you would think it's not possible to make a bad decision, but what happens when that love has the power to disrupt families and break other people's hearts? This book deals with those issues in a very realistic way and it manages to make all the characters involved come out in a better way. Whether that means there's a HEA for the two main characters I will let you find out for yourself. Some readers might be put off with the age difference or the fact that the male lead is a married man, but in my experience, those elements never bothered me and they did not make the story any less enjoyable or the characters any less likeable.

While reading this book, I was right along with Vera and Mateo on the roller coaster ride of emotions they went on and once it was over, I did not want to let them go. They are not perfect characters. They make mistakes but what made them so easy to like is that they both owned up those mistakes and tried to make them right. Overall, this story is one that will definitely stay with me and that from now on resides on my all time favorites list. I would highly recommend giving it a try! ♥

"I was Vera Miles.
And I might have been the villain of my own story.
But I was the hero, too.
I was going to be okay."

Always and infinity.

Release date: 20 April 2014.

**ARC kindly provided by author Karina Halle in exchange for an honest review**

[Kristin (KC) · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 Stars*

Karina Halle does complicated love, and does it well.

A married family man with a child, plus a growing attraction for another woman has despair, destruction, and heartache written all over it.

And yet, it worked.

That's not to say this particular journey of infidelity was easy, but it was softened with just enough moral reasoning to be deemed acceptable, all while retaining its excitingly dangerous edge.

Love, in English offers a daring yet sweet contradiction, and thoroughly showcases how the heart knows neither time nor bounds. The plot wasn't over-the-top or saturated with angst, but instead displayed a very life-like, forbidden reality of a couple who--to put it simply--couldn't help but fall in love.

I'm starting to think that most villains aren't evil—they are just misunderstood.

Vera is on her way to Spain, partaking in a four week program where she'll help Spanish speaking business men and women brush up on their conversational English skills. Her entire stay is paid for and Vera hopes to gain a unique experience in the process.

But what she encounters is more than she could have imagined...

Mateo is a sexy former soccer star turned business owner, and happens to be one of the members Vera will "tutor" on her trip. Mateo appears to be a confident man who has it all together, but underneath his easy going persona lies a dejected soul who has lost himself somewhere along the way.

Vera, with her tattoos and headstrong personality represents all that Mateo used to love about life. When an immediate attraction blossoms into something much more, Mateo is faced with remaining in a loveless marriage, or following his heart. However, Mateo's daughter means the world to him; a world he simply will not stand to lose.

This story is separated into three parts, and I was especially fond of the first. It had all the typical KH ingredients: humor, sex appeal, tension, witty characters, and, of course, a spark that set off one hell of an unpredictable romance.

You can tell me to stop and I will stop. But please don't tell me to stop.

On the subject of adultery, because it's not an easy pill to swallow even in fiction: This issue was handled tactfully, never giving me that icky, terrible, horrible, no good, very bad feeling. Vera suffers insurmountable guilt and is in a constant state of fighting her "inappropriate" feelings for Mateo. She was a conscientious heroine placed in a difficult, hard-to-ignore situation, and I never found myself struggling to accept her behavior.

All of that said, I was hoping for a bit more in the wrap up, which is strange because the story is over five hundred pages long. Certain elements felt slightly rushed, but I guess it had to end sometime. Good read!

Promise me, you won't give up on us...
I won't, I said, though not out loud. I was too afraid to say it, in case it didn't end up being true.

Book Stats:
▪ Genre/Category: Contemporary Romance
▪ Steam Caliber: Very steamy
▪ Romance: Forbidden elements. Complicated and intense.
▪ Characters: Strong, yet unsure heroine. Sexy, distinguished, but dejected hero.
▪ Plot: A married man and single woman find love. Forbidden elements.
▪ Writing: Witty, humorous, and fluid.
▪ POV: 1st Person: Heroine
▪ Cliffhanger: None/Standalone
▪ HEA? Yes

*Many thanks to author for mailing copy of arc in exchange for an honest review*

[Pavlina Read more sleep less blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Design your own universe, make your own stars,
write your own stories and create
your own destiny."

I love books that awake my feelings and this is definately one of them!!It's an incredible,powerful and emotional story.It captivated me from the beginning! Every time I read a new book from Karina, I'm impressed!Her writing is so unique that it evokes, lifelike situations within the reader's mind.The characters she creates are so real!

Love is unpredictable, we can't control who falls in love..This is what happens with Vera and Mateo..



Vera is a 23 years old, Canadian girl who decides to be a part on a language programme which helps Spanish with their conversational English.In this programme she must stay in Spain for one month...
There she meets many people and one of them is Mateo.A 38 years old Spanish who is a businesman...
While they are in Las Palabras they discover the meaning of friendship and love..
Both characters have a lust for each other..
but what can you do when you know that the person you are in love with is married??

Dilemma..

Can you resist your feelings???

Honesdtly, if I was Vera, I wouldn't be able to resist!!I don't like the kind of affairs in books but reading this book anyone can sympathize with the characters feelings...



I loved both characters!!Vera is one of my favorite characters of Karina's books because she isn't your typical heroine..

"I am the vilain.
Wild hair.
Wild heart.
Tattoos and piercings.
I love food too much.
I love sex too much."

But however she is smart,kind and funny!She feels lost and she thinks that she doesn't feet anywhere..This trip in Spain will help her to discover herself and find love..Mateo *sigh* I fell in love with him from the beginning!!He was funny,handsome and sensual!Like Karina said in her book a Spanish god!!

An amazing book *sigh* I will read it again and again!!!I highly recommend it!!

Thank you so much Karina for giving me the privilege of being among the first who read the book <333

*ARC provided by author as an exchange for honest review*

[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ~ 4 Stars

This story was definitely well written, had a nice pace and made me want to apply for a passport and take a trip to Spain unfortunately, I didn’t love it.

I felt Mateo's fall for Vera had a lot to do with his want to reclaim his youth and happiness before he was injured and married...



Despite my feelings, their love seemed to be written in the stars, out of this universe, and all that jazz and I do believe the major majority of friends will love it.

Vera Milles is a twenty-three year old tatted astronomy college student. She doesn’t speak Spanish, she doesn’t study business but lands a position teaching conversational English to business professional in a resort? (I found this a bit odd but the author confirms that this possible so check it out friends!) She sets off to Spain and not only falls in love with country but also a very married former football star, now restaurant owner, Mateo Casalles.

Vera and Mateo’s relationship builds slowly with a friendship and chemistry that has an explosive level of angst. Vera attempts to stifle her blooming feelings but the knowledge that Mateo feels the exact same for her amps up the excitement. A reader may want to know if this book has cheating and the answer is YES. Both characters realize that they are unhappy with their lives and that the other adds everything that they were missing.

"What is love? In English.”
I raised my brows. “Love, in English, is love…”
“What is it in Spanish?
I was so enthralled by his hypnotic eyes, I could barely remember. “Amore?”
He shook his head ever so slightly. “No. Love in Spanish is you.”

While falling in love with Mateo, Vera makes several long lasting friendships and is gutted when the program is over and it’s time for her to return home to Canada. Vera’s attempt at doing the right thing isn’t lost on me. I get how the heart wants what the heart wants while her mind wanted to do the right thing. When Vera later agrees to join Mateo in Spain she takes a huge chance. Can their relationship survive meeting his daughter and wife as well as the press?

Sadly, I didn’t fall head over heels for Mateo and Vera’s love connection. Vera was a bit young for my taste and although the author tried to drown a reader in her “guilt” over her affair with a married man, the facts were the facts. Some of Mateo’s actions including his handling of his wife was questionable to me.

I honestly can’t picture these two characters making it for the long haul, sorry. I think the bigger picture from what I got from the story was her realizing that she was worthy of love too and was just as important in the equation as well as never settling when you could have the opportunity for so much more.

"Design your own universe, make your own stars,
write your own stories and create
your own destiny."

I NEEDED Mateo’s pov. I think that I would have given me a better insight into his dealings with his wife as well as his feelings and perhaps I would have fallen for this couple. I needed more than "you’re my Estrella". Don’t get me wrong, I liked the “Star" thing that Mateo kept going back to when he spoke with Vera but by the middle of the story, I was on STAR REFERENCE OVERLOAD.

This could definitely be a case of I suck and the world will love so go forth and get lost in the stars!

*Thanks to Karina Halle for mailing copy of arc in exchange for an honest review*

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

☆☆ 5 Shining Stars ☆☆



“Love is like a thief, it robs you of all thought and logic and all you have left is a heart that you can only pray is strong enough to survive the rest.”

Karina never ceases to amaze me. I absolutely adore everything she writes. Love, in English is a beautifully crafted, character driven story that will always have a special place in my heart. One of the things I appreciate most about Karina’s style is her ability to create such relatable, visceral characters – they are flawed, they make mistakes but they are endearing and lovable. Yes, the subject matter is a bit taboo, but its life. Good or Bad. Right or Wrong. Everything comes with a price and a consequence.

What would you be willing to sacrifice for a true, all-consuming love?



Vera Miles is a 23 year old, Canadian, astrology student. She is adventurous, wild, tattooed and pierced. She doesn't do emotional attachments, and she certainly doesn't fall in love. But, spending a month is the Spanish countryside, helping Spaniards learn conversational English; she finds more than she could have ever imagined - Mateo.



Mateo Casalles is a 38 year old, Spanish, ex soccer player and he is the completely different from anyone she has ever known, or wanted. He is successful, charming, and refined. But, he is also married…

I was in love, in lust, in something with him, and all logic, all facts, all reality, none of that seemed to matter, not to my body and not to my heart.

I am sure some will be wary of the story line, a younger woman and an older married man – but it is remarkably written. I felt Vera’s struggle, the pain, and the love. Desperately trying to do the moral thing, to resist and deny her feelings for Mateo. I never viewed her as a bad person; she was no villain, simply a person in a very complicated situation. And Mateo, he was a man simply moving through the motions; trapped in an unhappy marriage, trying to do the right thing. But meeting Vera opens his eyes, he finds himself completely captivated by her light and he doesn’t want to let her go.

”When I know something, I know it. Now, I know what love is. And I love you. And I cannot imagine going back to the life I had before, because that was no life at all. That was just existing. That was just chasing down the next day so I could feel it pass under me.” He placed his large hand over my heart. “You made me stop chasing days. You made me hold on to them.”

This was a beautiful, emotional journey. A slow building, forbidden romance, that is refreshing and unique. It will evoke a range of emotions, I laughed, cried, and swooned. I was angry, hopeful, and scared. I fell in love with these characters and pulled for them till the end. Now that I have finished, I miss them.



Recommendation: EVERYONE. Read it and try to resist Vera and Mateo – I couldn't.

***Thank you, Karina Halle, for the arc in exchange for an honest review.***

[Sharon ∞❥ is an emotional book junkie ❥∞ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karina Halle mentions in her acknowledgements that she worried that her first romance would be a failure, or that it was boring, or that people wouldn't connect with the characters. Well, Karina Halle...

There's no need to worry. It. Was. Amazing!

In fact, feel free to write some more...A LOT more! Granted not everyone is going to feel the way I do and that's okay.



However, there is one huge, glaring, warning beacon going off and if you've read the blurb, you have a good idea but I'm just going to come out and tell you. Yes, there is cheating. If this bothers you in any way, don't read the book. I do think that KH handled it very well, maybe too well...poor Vera beat herself up and then some but still, it is there. Now you just have to decide if it's worth it to read this or not.

Speaking of Vera...she's a college student looking for a little adventure. She goes to Spain to help teach conversational Spanish and that's where she meets Mateo, who she immediately lusts after but she keeps it to herself...or so she thinks.



I enjoyed Vera and her journey. She's an interesting character but still young and doesn't always make the best decisions but she tries and that's important. She's also very much aware of who she is...and who she isn't.

Mateo is very yummy. He is who I would consider a "good" Javier (you know who I'm talking about if you've read KH's Artist Trilogy). But...he is not happy, not since he's been put away in nice, little boxes. What's great about him being older is that he knows what he wants and he will fight for it.

I loved the sexual tension between Vera and Mateo and of course, I loved all the emotional drama too so that was right up my alley. But I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the awkwardness of everyone learning the languages...it was great at providing some comedic relief. (I will never think of being buzzzzed like a bee the same way.)

When things finally happened, it was pretty steamy although not very graphic. Still I think that I enjoyed the intimacy between Vera and Mateo much more. Reading about them falling in love was so heartwarming. And I just love that he calls her Estrella.



There were a lot of great characters in the book and I think KH did a great job in bringing them to life. When the class was over and everyone was saying goodbye, I couldn't help but cry! I felt like I was right there with them.

And then all the emotions that Vera went through when she was back in Canada was torture but what sweet torture! When Vera kept checking her phone for any emails or texts, it was agony!

I did have one little issue with Mateo and that's when he was at Isabel's car and Vera saw what she saw...ugh! I don't feel like that was explained or handled well enough and to be honest, I'm still really upset about it!

The ending was fantastic...I loved the parts on the plane! I could've done with more from the Epilogue but I was happy and I really can't complain. It's a wonderful love story and I hope you'll give it a chance.



Favorite quotes:

♥ He slowly turned around. “What is love? In English.”

I raised my brows. “Love, in English, is love?”

“What is it in Spanish?”

I was so enthralled by his hypnotic eyes, I could barely remember. “Amore?”

He shook his head ever so slightly. “No. Love in Spanish is you.”

♥ “It used to be more of a life. Then the accident happened. And I met Isabel. She took the chaos that was my life and organized it. She trimmed it, separated it. and put it into these tiny boxes, boxes I was too scared to touch. You, you, Vera, you found those boxes and you opened them up. You ripped them apart. You let the chaos loose, filling my life with energy and stars again.”

♥ “I am saying,” he said carefully, “that this is not the end of the story. Not the way I am writing it.”

♥ “Love is like a thief, it robs you of all thought and logic, and all you have left is a heart that you can only pray is strong enough to survive the rest.”

♥ "It meant everything to me."

♥ “But love makes you an optimist,” she said. “That is what love is. It is hope for the future. Love doesn’t want you to lose faith, to view the world darkly, to have no hope. Love makes you believe in the impossible. That is the meaning of the word.”

♥ "Always and infinity."


*BR w/Melissa!*

[Lady Vigilante (Feifei) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 STARS!!

I think Karina Halle has shown readers what a versatile writer she is – first she dazzles with fast-paced, action-packed stories such as The Artists trilogy and then a suspenseful horror romance like Donners of the Dead and now with her first contemporary romance. I think from the blurb it’s quite obvious that some form of cheating will occur – whether it be physical, emotional, or both and though it’s a touchy subject I wouldn’t be too worried about that part. I think the author addresses infidelity, cheating, and breaking vows in a very tasteful and respectful manner. Nothing about cheating is glorious; even if finding love is a product, there’ll always be a tainted reminder that the new relationship began on a foundation of deceit. Thus, I really admire the author for writing about such a controversial and forbidden topic and as her first contemporary romance too – that took a lot of guts.



While this book was exceptionally well-written and handled a taboo subject very well (meaning I didn’t want to smash pumpkin all over the MC’s faces), I didn’t love it. I liked it and the writing was amazing as usual, but there are too many factors stacked up against that one great quality. This book was realistic – to a certain extent. What I considered to be as realistic was the temptation, the breaking of vows, and the guilt trip. Sadly, I never once believed in their love. Call me a cynic but I just simply couldn’t see them in a long-term relationship. Albeit the process of what they went through and the degree to which both gave up certain things tugged at my heartstrings, I was never invested nor convinced of their love. I’ve seen this mentioned in a few other reviews and couldn’t agree more - I NEEDED MATEO’S POV. I needed more than Estrella, stars, and other constellations. I’m sorry, but reading this entire story from Vera’s perspective was incredibly draining and I couldn’t connect with Mateo’s character at all. With this book’s highly complex and multi-faceted premise it’s absolutely necessary (at least for me) to include both main character’s POVs in order to get a fuller sense of the story. Like the scene where he and Vera confront his wife? That was one scene I desperately needed his POV because as of now, I’m struggling to accept his actions there. I also don’t believe in insta-love so the speed at which they fell in love and then subtracting Mateo’s POV didn’t give me much to believe in to begin with.



I definitely enjoyed the second half more than the first half – it’s not that I don’t like details but I was about to suffocate on all the extra descriptions of this and that in the first half and I just want their fricking story already; cut the extra! But that’s just me and so I was pretty bored there.

I already knew my rating the moment I finished reading; I just didn’t know what to say to back it up. So...3 stars for the rather mediocre reading experience on my part and the extra half star because I liked this more than I disliked it and because Karina Halle worried that her first romance would be a failure. It wasn’t.

A copy of the book was gifted to me by Kathleen Tucker. Thank you!

[Navessa]

Cheating, huh?

[Geri Reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was expecting this...



Instead I got this...



For a book who wanted to show readers the gray areas of love, this book is pretty much a cliched black and white. I was up for an unconventional heroine who fell in love with a married man. Not an easy subject to write about but if there's anyone who could have pulled this off, it would have been Karina Halle. I know this author can definitely write edgy and raw.

But no dice. Not even close.

For one, I was bored. Just bored. The first 50% was all about Mateo and Vera taking seistas and talking about the stars. I was bored. The secondary characters were two dimensional and boring. It was established early on that Mateo and Vera wanted to hump each other. This seems to be okay with everybody except for Lauren. Lauren of course is a bitch bicycle, whereas the people who didn't really bat an eye at Vera and Mateo's eye-fucking were good, decent individuals. In fact, these people assured them that it's okay to cheat on Mateo's wife since you can't stop love. *insert roll eyes here*

I quickly found out that this was going to be a recurring theme throughout the book. And here in lies my problem. It wasn't really the cheating per se that bothered me. It was how the whole thing was set up. I don't know if it was a conscious decision by the author or it was just an unfortunate coincidence. But there were only two types of characters in this book: the ones who are for Mateo and Vera's relationship, regardless of the fact that he's married, were portrayed as good, non-judgmental people. They were Vera's champion and they were cool about Vera and Mateo getting it on because, you know, its twu lurve and it was written in the stars and all that jazz and everything. And then there's the second group. And these are those people who "disapproved" of their relationship or disapproved of Vera composed of her mother, her sister, Lauren and of course, Isabel. They were lumped together into the judgmental bitches category. It was blatantly obvious from then on what the author wanted to me to feel; hate these characters. These characters deserved to be cheated, hated on because they're judgmental bitches.

Forget the shades of gray, you won't find those here. It's just another overwrought romanticizing of a cheating husband and his younger mistress.

Mateo is a one-dimensional character. He's portrayed as perfect in every way except that, oppss, he's married. I'm supposed to sympathize with him because he's stuck in a bad marriage with the worst wife possible with his kid being used as a pawn by said wife when he met Vera. But then as the book progressed, I realized that Mateo is just a guy in the throes of a mid-life crisis. Too early for it, being only 38 years old, but his actions were of that same guy. That guy who is trying so hard to recapture his youth. Mateo is that guy. He wanted to feel young again. He wanted his life back pre-wife with all the parties, the wild nights, the beer, no responsibilities, nada. Every time he calls her estrella and talks about building a new universe with her, I wanted to punch him in the nut.

A little of his POV might have helped. Probably. But it would have been a better read for me if I saw him at least trying to save his marriage or tried to resist Vera. But he didn't. Mateo was a selfish, whiny prick who preyed on the emotions of an insecure young woman.

The whole angle on the wife doesn't make sense to me and it's what really bothered me the most. Mateo, aside from being a football player, doesn't seem to have any life plans at all. When he was injured, he got lost. His wife was there and basically organized it for me. And she was vilified for it. She seems to be instrumental in pointing him towards being a businessman, investing in his restaurants but his family made her out to be this fame hungry, gold-digging bitch who is far from being the "perfect" wife. It was insinuated that she shouldn't complain at all since she's far from being the perfect wife. Well, duh! To me, it doesn't make sense. The fact that this book had to vilify the wife in order to justify Mateo cheating was just lazy storytelling. It was too drama-llama for me. Even that confrontation scene was ridiculous and trite. I probably would have liked the story better if it was simply because Mateo and Isabel just grew apart and didn't really have passion in their marriage anymore or that Mateo simply found someone better. I mean, yay for them. Instead, it was the wife's fault, y'all! It was predictable and boring.

Vera, I actually liked at first. But then she fell in love and she became this whiny, insecure, and immature little girl. I don't blame her for falling in love with a married man but the way she handled herself was annoying. Again, I am inundated with the whole cliche of her family being mean to her. Forget the fact that her mother was right in the first place. She shouldn't have left school and go live with a man who, for all intents and purposes, was still married. But since her mom is a bitch, of course it was okay. The kicker was that Vera herself was a product of divorce due to infidelity. But hey, her mom was a bitch who it was totally okay for Vera not to listen to her.

Can you sense a theme here?

Her relationship with her mother wasn't really explored. I was hopeful when Vera went back home after her stint in Spain and meeting Mateo. Maybe she will grow up some and get a whole new perspective on life. But again, nope. Instead, all I got was emo Vera. I had to check and blurb again just to be sure I didn't misread her age. She's 23. I was right. But she acted like a sulking 13 year old. My 12 year old niece acts more mature than her.

Look, I get that there are characters that are purposely created to annoy the crap out of readers but this was just ridiculous. It didn't serve the story well. Frankly, it didn't make Vera and Mateo likable because it was so obvious that it was done to make the their "love" acceptable. It was disingenuous to portray those who disapproved of her and Mateo's relationship as bitches and those who approved as "good people"? Really? I couldn't really accept that even Mateo's family didn't even blink an eye when they found out that he had Vera in his house even before the divorce was final and he was still battling custody for Chloe Ann. And I'm supposed to believe that these people have Chloe Ann's best interest?

Even Josh, her brother, who I thought was the only sensible person in this whole debacle, disappointed me. That whole justification about divorce was insulting. And Vera, the nit-wit became this pathetic character who bailed after things got too hard. Boohoo! Really pathetic. Where was this free-spirited girl the blurb talked about. She was nowhere to be found.

But my ire is probably reserve for fucking Claudia. Good God, no wonder Vera is a mess. This woman was an enabler of bad behavior and I'm supposed to like her? It was also telling how the women were portrayed in this book. Generally, those who disapproved of her Vera and Mateo were women. The men were jealous of Mateo because his tattooed mistress while the women looked on with disdain. Now, I don't know why but that really irked me.

Overall, I found this book just lacking. Lacking in depth, lacking in sensitivity, and lacking in perspective. Mateo's ardent decelerations of love for Vera, his star, and universe had me rolling my eyes too much. Overly romanticizing cheating assholes is not my thing. And Mateo is just that. You may dress him up, pretty him and put beautiful words in his mouth but it doesn't change a thing about him. I'd rather have an honest portrayal of him as a flawed human being who cheated and get his comeuppance first before getting his HEA. But this book portrayed him as anything but. Same with Vera. Her issues were supposed to make me sympathize but it ended up annoying me most of the time.

To me, this book tried too hard to sell Vera and Mateo's love for each other as acceptable and okay. I generally don't like to be forced into feeling something for certain characters. Not to say that no one can convince me but it has to be an organic thing for me, you know. I wanted to root for them because they deserved it. But it seemed to me like the only way the author knew how to do it was to make some people the villain, which doesn't make sense to me because I thought the whole point of the book is to show that when it comes to matters of the heart, there are no villains. Not Vera or Mateo and certainly not the wife also. I was wrong.

[Dilek VT · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 out of 2,5

This book is out of focus...

Here is what happens:
- Married guy (38) meets a girl (23) and falls in love with her
- The girl falls in love with him too, although she tries not to, knowing he is married with a child. She even sleeps with another guy one night just to make her own point!!!! She wants to show that they are impossible.
- Normally, he lives in Spain, she lives in Canada.
- She is actually a student, he is a businessman (he was a footballer before but he got injured and quitted).
- She is tattooed and pierced with a rebel look, he wears suits and looks classier. On paper they do not look like a good match.
- They meet in a program for adults practicing their conversational English and they spend one month together in the same camp in Spain.
- They fight with their feelings internally for a month, trying to keep things on a friendly level only; however, they fail in the end.
- They make love in the very last few days. That is when he cheats on his wife... And I would be pissed if he went on like this keeping her as a secret mistress while keeping his marriage safe at the same time. However, they separate their ways first but he wants her to never give up on their love and then, he goes and files for divorce.
- Then, we read the painful process of divorce.
- One the one side, our heroine feels guilty most of the time and she often whines. She also feels very insecure for some reasons.
- On the other side, the hero tries to act strategically because he wants a peaceful divorce to be able to get the shared custody of his daughter. Thus, while trying to keep his new love, he also tries to keep things good with his soon-to-be-ex-wife, as well.
- Naturally, ugly things happen and the new love is tested a few times. When it is tested, neither the hero nor the heroine acted as I wish they would have.
- Eventually, there is a happy end for the new couple.

What bothered me was only one thing:

IT WAS OUT OF FOCUS!

This book would have been so much better if the writer had focused on either

“the idea of cheating” and show its ugly consequences and how the innocent people in the story later end up with some new love (with some “non-cheating bastards”)

or

“a story of unavoidable forbidden love”, in which a married person falls in love with someone else and this new love wins over no matter what the circumstances

I could accept either of them…

***********************************************

However, here, the book is a mess and it reflects the confused mind of the writer.

In one chapter, the writer tries to makes us see how unavoidable their love is, how deep and real their feelings are and how strong their chemistry is etc.

In another chapter, she writes about all these feelings of guilt, slut shaming and name calling, accusing the girl of being a homewrecker etc. (even her mother and sister call her names, including she herself doing it on her own all the time)

It really annoyed me and I didn’t know how to feel.

***********************************************

What I am trying to say here is if you are going to make this new love win over, you shouldn’t taint it so much. The writer taints it!

She should have created more stable characters, making them behave in a way to make us believe that their love is really so big that it is unavoidable whatever the consequences are.

***********************************************

There are very nice touchy sentences in the book while they are explaining their feelings but I somehow didn’t feel their “so-called great love”. I couldn’t relate to either the hero or the heroine.

Maybe it was because they weren’t strong enough characters or maybe because the writer made a mess of the “big love” and the “moral values”, not knowing which one to focus on most and ending up ruining both!


The book is told by the heroine's point of view only. Maybe, it is one of the reasons why it always felt lacking. I was never in his head.

Also the book is nearly 400 hundred pages and it is really slow and dragging.

P.S. If cheating is not one of your triggers and you can read books in which cheating is involved, then maybe you should try the ones worth the pain and the suffering such as "My time in the Affair" by Stylo Fantome or "A Love So Tragic" by Stevie J. Cole... They are truly amazing!

***********************************************

One last word about cheating in general:

I do not have a personal experience and I hope I never will but I don’t believe in putting the shame on the other woman.

If a husband cheats on his wife, he is the one who is betraying, not some woman who doesn’t know the wife at all.

And in a situation like this, rather than slut shaming the other woman, calling her “homewrecker”, maybe the wife should question what was wrong in their marriage or if there is nothing wrong, then, she should get angry with the one who really deserves her anger: “the husband”, not the other woman.

Just saying...

[Ilze · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know I am in a minority here, but I just didn't like it.

How I felt about the story and the writing


How I felt about Mateo



And how I felt about Vera



And this is pretty much how I felt during the book





I have to say that I didn't mind cheating and I didn't mind that she was the reason why Mateo got divorce, but I really fu#%king hated the fact she felt sorry for herself constantly. Don't do it or own up to it! She felt ashamed and guilty, but still she changed nada . Only when it got tough and he rearranged his life for her she decided it was time to leave.

Anyway, I didn't like her, I couldn't relate to her and I couldn't find anything common with her, thus I felt '0' sympathy towards her situation. And probably because I didn't like her I couldn't enjoy the book.

I know that I am pretty much one of the few who didn't like this book and, yes, it is a bummer, because I wanted to love it.

[Kim Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

★★★★★ 5 STARS ★★★★★

Desire. Loss. Hope. Love.

Just like our main character ... this book is a brilliant, shining star. It is without doubt Karina Halle’s best work. I am still reeling from the staggering amount of true emotion this book was able to evoke.

Tears! I cried, big stupid tears … I yelled … I laughed … I swooned. And I will never think of a siesta the same way again!

sigh

It was so very perfect.



Vera is a 23 year old student who goes to Spain for the summer to teach english. On her first day in the program she meets 38 year old married businessman, Mateo.
From the moment these two meet there is an attraction. What develops between them goes beyond physical … beyond emotional … it is a connection of souls.



Karina Halle takes what most consider an uncomfortable, even taboo topic and turns it into a beautiful work of art. I never thought I would find myself empathizing with an adulterer ... but ohmygawd! I was routing for them! It takes a lot of talent to change someone's perception on such a heavy issue.

There is so more to this story than a simple forbidden love. It brings to question the nature of life and happiness.

What risks are worth taking? Why do people settle for less? Who are you ... or better yet ... who do you want to be?

I loved the writing style. My book has about 4 or 5 dozen sticky notes highlighting my favorite passages! Lots of fabulous imagery. Very poetic.



I am so grateful to have been allowed advance access to this fabulous book! Karina Halle ... what can I say? I think I love you ... not in a creepy, stalkerish kind of way ... just in a totally normal, you are my idol kind of way ... wait ... is that creepy? lol
Oh well! It's true!



Pre-Read

OMG, OMG, OMG!!! A cover & blurb! Ahhhhhhhh! So fucking excited!



“Show me the stars again,” he said. His eyes speared me like nothing else, his face becoming dangerously handsome.

I looked up to the clear sky, to see the stars, but he reached out and grabbed my hand. His touch was hot, like his fingers were searing into my skin, that feeling of entering a hot tub on a cold night. I couldn’t help the shiver that ran gently down my spine.

“Not those stars,” he said huskily, leaning forward. His lips were wet and slightly open. “Your stars. Why I call you Estrella.”

I swallowed hard, my pulse burning along. I turned around in my chair so my back was to him and lifted up my hair, gathering it on the top of my head.

His chair scraped loudly on the ground as he got up, a sound that struck a new kind of fear in me.

No. Not fear.

Anticipation.

READ MORE: http://experimentinterror.com/2014/01...

[Dee Montoya · Rating 5 out of 5]

******6++++ Estrellas Brillantes******

(BR With My book club babes, Patty, Alex, Carmen, and Rosita)

There are not enough stars to rate this book, for me this was pure perfection. A blazing story about a passionate love; the kind we all dream and fantasize about. Karina Halle words gripped my heart and emotions from the moment I started reading. Wow! truly captivating...



Vera Miles is a twenty three year old woman from Canada, backpacking through Europe, looking for an aventure. Her last stop is Spain, she's joining a program where she will work in a program, helping Spaniards practice their conversational skills in english, for exchange of a room and food in a gorgeous resort, four hours outside Madrid. In Las Palabras Resort she meets the gorgeous Mateo Casalles; he's a former soccer player, thirty eight years old and married. Mateo and Vera, bond instantly, they become fast friends, the comfort and intimacy between them urges them both to open up about all the things about their lives they don't dare to tell anyone. The sexual tension is palpable and constant between them, but neither of them want to act on it, respecting Mateo's marriage vows. Vera does everything possible to sabotage her feelings for him, but the heart wants what it wants and on the last few days together before they both have to go back to the real world, they both have no more strength left and finally surrender to a passionate affair.



Vera goes back to Canada, but not as the same woman that first left, not only did she find love, but friends and a wonderful place where she felt like she truly belonged, something she's been yearning to feel her whole life. Life is miserable for both Mateo and Vera, their love burns deep and they are ready to just be together without thinking of the consequences. Mateo is in loveless marriage where the only thing keeping him is his daughter and Vera lives her life without any real purpose in it. Life together won't be easy, is deep love and burning passion enough for a relationship to work? Will they make the ultimate sacrifices and fight for their universe of love and stars?

I've always had a deep love for all things Spain, when I visit it's gets even harder to leave, each time. The music, the food, the art, the people; everything about that country fascinates me and Karina Halle did a magnificent job describing the beautiful setting. Her words transported me to Spain, making me feel every emotion in the story and engraving the words of her novel deep in my heart. Don't waste any time and read this book, truly romantic and passionate, a masterpiece!!!!!

My Love, in English music playlist:
*Entre Dos Aguas by Paco De Lucia
*Girl of Fire by Alicia Keys
*You Can't always Get What You Want by The Rolling Stones
*Barcelona by Giulia y Los Tellarini
*Explosions by Ellie Goulding
*A Sky Full of Stars by Coldplay

[Catarina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 Brightly Burning Stars.

”I’m starting to think that most villains aren’t evil—they are just misunderstood. Or victims of that most manipulative force: love.”

What happens when two worlds collide?
Vera is a 23 years old Canadian girl, she enters on an English program in Spain. She believe she’s going to have the experience of her life. (And well, she will.)
Mateo is a 38 year old, businessman, married and with a 5 year old daughter. He doesn’t have any feelings for his wife anymore, he only stays with her for the sake of her daughters happiness, so when Vera appears in his life, his world is shaken.



They both start a fight with their own heart. But eventually they both lose.
And when real life, real feelings, family’s values and different life-styles get on their way, how long can they keep fighting?
Not all love stories are easy. Not all of them seems to be right from the beginning. Not all of them get an immediate happy ever after. Sometimes a beautiful love story endures a long and hurtful path to get to that point. And isn’t that what makes them remarkable?



Rating: 4,5 Stars.
Storyline: For a contemporary romance it’s amazingly refreshing. This a beautiful love story, with angst enough to frustrate us and keep us interested. The age gap was a little hard for me, I don’t like them when they’re too big, but eventually I got past that. This was probably one of the bests NA books I’ve read recently.
Writing Style: First person. Addictive, emotional and beautiful. Karina Halle always deliver a book amazingly.
Character Development: Vera was pretty good, I liked her from the begging. She never was a villain to me, just got caught up in live. Mateo was also very good and refreshing. I also loved him. The supportive characters were also pretty good.
Steam: Hot moments.
HEA: Yes.

[Patrycja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: Love, In English
Series: No. Standalone.
Author: Karina Halle
Release Date: April 20, 2014
Rating: 3 stars
Cliffhanger:. No
HEA: Yes




Karina Halle is one of my favorite authors; her books are always exciting, full of suspense and have the best yet the weirdest romances ever. I simply adore her! My love for her books made me break my number one rule. – I don’t deliberately read books with adultery. And look at me now, here I am rating and reviewing Love, In English completely manipulated by my fixation with Dex, Javier and Camden.



I have known from the very beginning that Love, In English would be very hard read for me. That’s why I anxiously read all the teasers and reviews of it. I wanted to be prepared. I wanted to know if this book will break me, make me cry or if it will make me angry. Karina Halle’s books are too good to be missed, so I tried to make myself mentally ready for the heartbreak. That was my mistake.



I simply knew too much about the story! How could I enjoy it properly while I had known very well how this story would go? From the first page I knew what was going on, so nothing really surprised me and for the most part I was bored…That’s why I won’t be saying much about the plot, if you haven’t already read Love, In English, please do yourself a favor and don’t read too many reviews, especially when they summarize the plot.

Anyway, It’s hard for me to review Love, In English. Giving this exceptional tale of forbidden love only a three stars is making my heart ache, but I can’t give it more :( I didn’t have much problems with cheating, as I was ready for that. So please, know that this is not why I rated Love, In English three stars.



While Karina’s writing touched my heart and seriously amazed me once again, I found it hard to feel deeply connected to the characters. Even though I liked Vera, I hadn’t been in sync with her. As for Mateo, I just felt like he was one of those guys who wanted to feel young again and took it to completely another level. He acted like gigantic ass more than once. I was not able to agree with their decision, and it has nothing to do with cheating per se. It was actions that followed that made me angry at them.



Overall, this story just wasn’t for me. Not very bad, nor as splendid as other Karina Halle’s books, Love, In English lacked something that could make me feel everything. The tale of Mateo and Vera’s relationship was harsh, and yes it was very realistic and beautiful in kind of ugly way, that will definitely appeal to many readers. Unfortunately, despite those qualities, I just couldn’t find myself in this book. I think I was this little, clueless girl standing in the corner trying to understand and not judge while still being not mature to get the drama wholeheartedly.


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[Amy Harmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge Karina Halle fan. I discovered her with her Experiment in Terror series and didn't sleep for about two weeks as I devoured them one by one. When Love, In English came out I bought it immediately and I've been sneaking little pieces of it whenever I can, like the chocolate I hide from my kids in my underwear drawer. I haven't wanted it to end because then I will miss it. I will miss Vera and Mateo. And I will miss Karina. She writes effortlessly and the story flows that way, making you forget you are reading, making you forget there really isn't a Mateo out there (yes there is, damn it!) in a sun-soaked country just waiting for me, I mean, Vera.

I could do a book recap, but others have done it so much better than I have time to do here. Simply put, Karina's books are in a league of their own, always, and her work speaks for itself. This book is taut, emotional, and sexy. And I simply loved it.

[Claire Contreras · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a fan of “forbidden” romances, but I’m equally as hesitant to read them since they can go either way. Sometimes I love them, other times I loathe them. Karina Halle has managed to take a difficult subject and shed a beautiful light on it.

Love in English is not a love story, but a story about love.

Real love.

The soul mate, you know they’re meant to be together kind of love that doesn’t give you any other option but to root for them even if you know the circumstances are less than ideal.

Like all of Karina’s prior books, Love in English is a story, a journey in which the characters take their own turbulent roads to finding themselves and in turn, each other. I may have been a little worried about the subject when I started reading this, but by the end of it I had stars in my eyes.

It's angsty, it's sexy, it's swoon-worthy, it's written beautifully, it's Love...In English ;).

If i haven't convinced you yet...

I raised my brows. “Love, in English, is love…”
“What is it in Spanish?”
I was so enthralled by his hypnotic eyes, I could barely remember. “Amore?”
He shook his head ever so slightly. “No. Love in Spanish is you.”


If there was a word for "swoon" in Spanish, I would insert it right here.

[Georgia ♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Estrellas Untranslated

Love knows not distance; it hath no continent; its eyes are for the stars



Compelling
Emotional
Fierce
Real

A love story with a KH twist, flair and talent.



Vera Miles the self-appointed villain in her own love story and Mateo Casalles the former soccer star Spaniard, married and lost in the daily stress and chaos, despaired and let down by their own families will find the stars in each others eyes and their souls will be reunited. Can love suffer distance and betrayal?



From Canada to London and then Spain, Vera is narrating her life, her side of the story. I was engrossed and in love with her and the surroundings, with the people she met and the sky she was gazing at at night. Sometimes I felt like a voyeur, others like was reading her innermost thoughts in her journal. But most of the times, I was Vera Miles. A woman in love with a married man, thousand of miles away from home.



Karina Halle's first attempt in contemporary romance made my heart ache and my soul sing.
Fascinating characters that are her norm with a hero twist and a villain complex. Unusual, unique setting and a really simple plot consist this must read romance.
Karina shares that she found inspiration from personal experience, but she is not Vera nor Mateo. I am envy of her. I want to pack my bags and take my fiance for a trip to the stars, to explore and find ourselves and fall in love all over again in every language imaginable.



And a book that makes you dream, is an excellent one....


While I was waiting for the book, I was very excited!!
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

ARC, in print, courtesy of the AMAZING Karina Halle, in exchange for an honest review.



He’s thirty-eight. I’m twenty-three.

He speaks Spanish. I speak English.

He lives in Spain. I live in Canada.

He dresses in thousand-dollar suits. I’m covered in tattoos.

He’s married and has a five-year old daughter.

I’m single and can’t commit to anyone or anything.



It's a Karina Halle stand alone forbidden romance.... WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED?!?!?!?!

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You and I, we were always a memory in the making.”

★★★★ ! Love, in English, book 1. Amazing, beautiful, spellbinding. A married, father falls for his exact opposite in Vera, half his age. Best read of year 2014!

Karina Halle at her best! I love, love romances with a traveling- theme, and reading Love, in English was a magical experience for me.
It made want to take the next plain to Spain. it's not often a book compels me like Love, in English did. Epic!
I absolutely loved Vera and Mateo's love story! This book was impossible from page one to put down. The writing and plot pulled me in instantly.
Love, in English is my absolute favorite kind of book.
A forbidden love story, with a big age difference in an exotic setting, not to mention a kick ass heroine and a swoon worthy, over-the-charge sexy hero.
It involves cheating, and it usually makes me sick to read about, but not in this one.

Mateo. Swoon, SWOON!
He is the older, sexy, wealthy ex-footballer with a sexy accent and Vera is the significantly younger, covered in tattoos, Canadanian he meets during a month in sunny Spain.
He wants to learn English better and she teaches adults.
Sparks fly immediately but he is married, a father and almost twice her age.
And he lives in Spain. How can it possibly work?

Love, in English is written entirely from Vera's point of view.
I loved every second of being in her head, she really is a kickass heroine and I'm so grateful to Karina Halle for writing this.
Love, in English was so awesom that it has bumped Karina to one of my favorite authors and it was by far my best read in all 2014.
I can't stress enough how much I loved the hero in this. Mateo...sigh......

The sexual tension between him and Vera was off- the- charts!
He made my knees go weak. Karina Halle, thank you for writing this. The writing was amazing, the characters were amazing and the plot was amazing.
I'm already looking forward to all the epic rereads of Love, in English.
I can't tell you enough how much I loved this!
READ IT ASAP!

[Alexis *Reality Bites* · Rating 4 out of 5]

FULL REVIEW POSTED 4-27-14
This Review contains mature content read discretion advised.
4.5 STARS
Genre: Adult Romance
(NOTE: this book has cheating if you can not handle it don't read it)



Love, In English is a realistic portrayal on love as two unlikely people fall deeply and passionately for one another. I think it’s also in some ways exploratory of love on many levels.

Man&Woman
Mother to Daughter
Sister to Sister
Father to Daughter
Friend to Friend

Karina Halle masterfully showcases love’s distinct capacities. Whether it’s to give, to receive, or if it’s just to absorb the moments and take them in…

Vera Miles travels to Spain on an internship having no clue that it will irrevocably change her life. Not just because she meets a man but because she experiences The Big Bang and there is NO WAY to take it back, rewind time or ask for a do over.

She falls in love with a married man.

“You can’t fall in love in a week,” I told her heatedly.
“You can fall in love in a second,” she said with a snap of her fingers. “The heart has no regard for time.” -Vera and Claudia

Mateo Casalles is an easy man to fall in love with he’s charming, sexy, athletic, wealthy and Spanish. I consider those traits to be a delicious mix for a male character. While we do not get Mateo’s pov we do learn a lot about him via Vera. He is successful and well known, he loves his daughter fiercely, he’s married but not happily and he falls in love with Vera.

Thoughtfully speaking
I fear that some readers may jump the gun on this and fear that because Mateo is married that this is some reckless affair but it’s not.

There was no wooing from Mateo.

Vera was not a seductress with her sights set on a married man.

It was a torrid love story that felt so real it hurt. Vera fights it and fights it and FIGHTS IT until she has no more strength left in her arms to swing anymore. Instead she embraces the love that Mateo so willingly gives.

He kissed my hand and gazed up at me. “I’m still not thinking. Vera, you make me mad, you make me crazy.” He shut his eyes again and spoke, his lips brushing my fingers.



My Rating and Why
For me personally I believe this story worked because Karina Halle managed to capture the basic human emotions and instincts by simply putting it all out there. By saying this can happen In this instance Mateo reflected on his life and thought to himself ‘am I really happy?’ and he was not. As we all know, attraction is a very natural thing but it does not have to be acted upon. If your marriage is not in a strong place a person can easily find an out, Mateo took his out.



My Ratings
Characters- Sweet, likeable and oh so sexy
Writing Style- Favorable, realistic and a bit intense
Plot/Storyline- Young woman travels to Spain for a summer internship and falls in love with a married man
Steam Factor- High/Steamy on a scale of 1-10 I say 7
Entertainment Level- From Lo-Med-Hi I would say Medium
Overall- I LOVED IT!
My Recommendation: READ THE BOOK!

Now go forth and read. Then come tell us about it on Goodreads!
For more reviews got to: www.realitybites-letsgetlost.blogspot...
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[Brenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's officially LIVE!
Amazon ➔ http://amzn.to/1i5S45v
B&N ➔http://bit.ly/LiE-Nook

Love, in English is a powerful story of finding love and finding yourself in the most unexpected places. It’s been a long time since a contemporary romance stole my heart and put me in a such a major book funk afterwards quite like this one did.

Vera, a twenty-three year old Canadian astronomy student is on her way to Spain. She has signed up for a program teaching conversational English to businessmen and woman. On the bus ride to their home for the next month, she meets the charming, enigmatic Mateo. As silly as it sounds, I can’t deny that I had the warm and fuzzies right from their first conversation. The chemistry, even as friends, between the two is completely unmistakable.

This story takes you through Vera and Mateo’s life over the next month as they get to know each other, as well as many others at the program. They are forced to talk and talk A LOT. It’s an interesting dynamic to see these people from so many backgrounds having to converse and find common ground. It takes relationship building to a whole new level.

The pacing of Vera and Mateo’s relationship is done with so much finesse. From the first chats, to the meaningful conversations, the building of feelings, and everything in between, I was hooked. I was hooked to these beautiful, flawed, charming kindred spirits who had no choice but to fall in love against all odds. It was written in the stars.

“When I know something, I know it. Now, I know what love is. And I love you. And I cannot imagine going back to the lie I had before, because that was no life at all. That was just existing. That was just chasing down the next day so I could feel it pass under me.” He placed his large hand over my heart. “You made me stop chasing the days. You made me hold onto them.”

Besides the draw I had to these characters, I absolutely loved the setting. Spain is the perfect backdrop for such a beautiful story. I found it interesting; I wanted to learn more about everything, what they were doing, where they were going. It felt like I was there, like I could see the things they were seeing and it made everything feel even more real.

It’s clear from the synopsis and the interactions between Mateo and Vera, that there is going to be some infidelity involved. I think this is a subject that is hard to take whether it’s real life or in fiction, but I can honestly say, I don’t think it could have been handled any better. It’s nothing done on a whim, without thinking, without meaning, it just seemed almost inevitable. I think knowing how Vera was struggling with her feelings of more than friendship from early on to witnessing it eating her up so completely as time went on, it made me feel for her. It was easy for me to relate to her and understand her feelings and actions. My issue with cheating in books is usually the back and forth and unnecessary angst, but here I never questioned the motives or intentions of either character.

I couldn’t really go on like this, everyday a battle between my heart and my mind, between right and wrong, between the dreams and the reality.

Whether it was wrong or right, it certainly felt right to me. This whole book, every page, it felt right, it felt real. It’s unique, compelling, heartfelt, and well written. I’ve been hard pressed to find a romance that has all of those components and has made me care so deeply. This is truly a story that will stay with me.

Love, our love, had been a shooting star, burning in the darkness, unseen, until it got too close, too bright and too quick to capture.

5+ stars.

[Alex is The Romance Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intoxicating!!! Unique!!! Special!!!

I have been unable to get this book out of my head since I finished the last word…and the beauty of the writing by this author ……just extraordinary, just astonishing!

“What is love? In English.”
I raised my brows. “Love, in English, is love?”
“What is it in Spanish?”
I was so enthralled by his hypnotic eyes, I could barely remember. “Amore?”
He shook his head ever so slightly. “No. Love in Spanish is you.”

Vera Miles arrives in Spain to take up a summer job. Spending a few weeks teaching conversational English to Spanish business people and enjoying the free room and meals, meeting new people sounds like an experience from heaven. She does all that but what she never expected was to fall in love.

Mateo, a businessman from Madrid, is gorgeous, sexy and married. But he finds himself being drawn towards a woman he never imagined would be someone he could connect with. His unhappy in his marriage, he and his wife have grown apart and the only thing that is still keeping them together, is their daughter. He never imagined that he could find that something he had lost for years, again.

“You can fall in love in a second,” she said with a snap of her fingers. “The heart has no regard for time.”

The subject of cheating with a married man is certainly not something I like reading about. But what is incredible is how the author handled the “taboo “so well. What stood out for me was the emotional connection they had from the beginning and how they battled to not give in to the deep feelings and love that slowly grew to a point that they could no longer resist giving in to something that was meant to be.

You feel their love, their pain, their uncertainty, their heartbreak. Her characters are unforgettable. You become emotionally involved with them from the very beginning.
Vera Miles has a place in my heart. Beautiful, dreamer, tattooed and pierced, lonely and somewhat lost…afraid to love…..

You are lonely, but you say you like to be alone.”
I nodded. “I do. I prefer it. But… it doesn’t mean I don’t want someone to love me.” My eyes stung, as if tears were on their way. I bit my lip, debating if I should say more. “It doesn’t mean that I don’t have a lot of love in me to give someone.”

I loved the goodness in her, struggling with the feelings she has for Mateo and wanting to do the right thing
.

A beautiful dreamer with such heart.

Mateo Casalles, mature, passionate, sensitive, caring, loving….his sensuality….I fell in love with this man and he’s wound himself around my heart forever. I felt a deep connection with him. He’s likeable, lovable and totally irresistible!!

And in some way, just like Vera, has lost his way….

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Powerful writing….the consequences of their love is filled with emotion, heartbreak, pain….and you feel it all because it’s such so real ….we can relate to all the chaos that ensues.

But in the end, love does overcome everything……..“But love makes you an optimist,” she said. “That is what love is. It is hope for the future. Love doesn’t want you to lose faith, to view the world darkly, to have no hope. Love makes you believe in the impossible. That is the meaning of the word.”The vivid imagery, the settings…I felt the heat, heard the music, tasted the food, touched the stars, smelt the air that was all Spain……the town of Acantilado

And beautiful Madrid

A beautiful book that made me feel so many emotions. Read it and feel it!!

I want to share something I found that reminded me of Vera Miles and her free spirit!!