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Wrong Turn, Right Guy

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Teresa Valli felt on top of the world. Her career as an accomplished attorney is more solid than ever, but in one moment that all changes. Not only is she forced to resign, but now she must face some tough questions. Her seemingly straightforward plan to attend her best friend’s wedding in Italy turns her life upside down. Despite a chain of mishaps, from a near kidnapping to a skiing fiasco, Teresa falls in love—not just with Italy but also with a handsome, charming man.

On top of all of this, Teresa must cope with her well-intentioned mother whose advice is insightful but not always welcome. Now she must rethink everything: her choice of career, of country, and of love. As she strives to regain what is most precious to her, Teresa discovers something even better and is in for one of the biggest surprises of her life.

Will Teresa be able to salvage her career and find true love while vacationing in Italy? Join her on Italian adventure to find out.

241 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 18, 2013

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Haylie B. Fox

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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Profile Image for Rosie.
Author 10 books57 followers
April 7, 2017
Teresa (Tessa) Vadney had worked very hard at the law firm, not taking a single holiday in over twelve years, in the hopes making partner. Instead, she is fired from her job when she refuses to cancel travel plans at the last minute. You see, her best friend, Anna, is getting married in Italy. As bridesmaid, Tessa has much to do to make Anna’s day perfect. With her mother as travel partner, Tessa quickly becomes flustered after they land, when everything that could go wrong, does. From kidnapping fears at the airport, fully-booked hotels, over-charging cab drivers and their inability to travel to their hotel, things go from bad to worse, when their rental-car breaks down on the way to the wedding. They are assisted by Alex – an English-speaking, handsome, newly-single American who takes a romantic interest in Tessa. With Alex making all the right moves, and Tessa not trusting any man since being burned years ago, will Tessa take a chance on Alex?

Haylie B. Fox’s tale of a woman who has received the wrong end of the stick for too long is very well written, drawing the reader in from the very first page. Much hilarity throughout the book takes place with the main character’s mother by her side, which increases tenfold when Tessa’s mother tries to force the romance to happen. There are many nostalgic moments in the pages, taking me back to the days when I first encountered Europe as a tourist, and I found myself nodding quite often at the interaction between tourist and locals. Although humor makes up a large portion of Wrong Turn, Right Guy, there are also some very serious moments, some of which are quite dark and emotional, which cause the reader to question the direction of the new romance when ex-spouses appear, with somewhat ulterior motives. Regardless of this, I thoroughly enjoyed Wrong Turn, Right Guy, and recommend it to readers over 15 years of age, who enjoy their romance served up with a hefty dose of comedy, whilst tugging on the heart-strings.

- Rosie Malezer for Readers’ Favorite
Profile Image for Heidi.
528 reviews51 followers
July 7, 2016
Teresa plans to go to Italy for her best friend's wedding. What she doesn't plan for is losing her job in the process, which was the only thing that was keeping her going. However, things seem to take a turn for the better when she meets and falls for an Italian guy. As Teresa tries to understand what she wants in life, she must decide if she should pursue love or fall back into what she is most comfortable with - her work.

I honestly wanted to enjoy this book. It had everything for a good summer read. Unfortunately, within the first couple of chapters, my enthusiasm and hope for this book took a turn.

Firstly, I did not like Teresa for most of this book. She came off as whiny, complaining, rude, and just someone that I would not like to associate myself with. I understand that she lost her job early on, so that could contribute to all the negativity she portrayed. But, I just couldn't sympathize with her rudeness and immaturity.

Then, the writing for most of this novel was in a spelled-out fashion. Almost everything in this book was simply told to the reader. In fact, there would be times when Teresa would be thinking something, then she would say the same thing in a dialogue. In turn, this also caused for repetition.

Lastly, as the protagonist was on her journey throughout Italy, I almost felt there was too much talk about the sights and not the journey to self-discovery, which was what I was expecting.

I'm sure there are those who would (and have) enjoy this novel, but unfortunately, I am not one of them.
Profile Image for A. Powers.
Author 12 books26 followers
February 18, 2018
This book was recommended to me by someone who loved it, complete with the comment that the writing reminded her of mine. I now suspect that I need to spend a bit more time plotting and editing my own stories...

After months of dragging myself through this book, I finally made it through. I felt like 90% of this book was unnecessary tourist information padding the story, and the other 10% was like a journal entry shorthanding the events of the day, giving equal weight to both major events and minor details. On top of all that, I didn't connect with or even like the main character very much. Or any other character for that matter. If I learned anything from this story, it's that money and fancy homes really CAN buy happiness.
4 reviews
January 9, 2018
Wrong turn, Right guy by Haylie B.Fox is a fast-paced, romantic and adventurous love story which sheds some light on the grim issues faced by many women in today’s goal oriented world. This is the story of a woman who is fiercely entangled between making home and making her career. From losing her job suddenly to heading out for her best friend’s wedding to Italy and finding her true love for life, the story reveals itself in interesting but adventurous whorls.
Teresa, a 35 years old attorney experiences a catastrophic moment of her life when her boss exclaims “Teresa, You’re fired” one day on the meeting table. Being a workaholic all her life, this unanticipated loss of her job takes a heavy toll on her and seems to eclipse all the silver linings. But her journey doesn’t end here and luckily, as it seems, fate has something worthwhile in store for her which comes up at the right time in the right place but fortunately, on the wrong turn. This wrong turn ignites in her all the dreams she had been subconsciously suppressing and continually sublimating with her robotic lifestyle. Life gives a second chance to Teresa to double check her priority list and this trip to Italy turns out to be a self-searching retreat.
Teresa, along with her mother, plans to join her best friend Anna to her wedding in Italy. Being a stranger in Italy, she unknowingly takes a wrong turn and accidentally bumps into Alex, a charming and handsome young man, who can readily give her butterflies in her stomach. He not only helps Teresa by offering her a comfortable lodging but is also invited by her on her friend’s wedding. Attracted by each other’s vibrant energy and magnetism they tend to share very close and intimate ties in no time. Alex shares the farmhouse with his childhood friend, Luca, who was an architect and official owner of the farmhouse. Soon the routine friendship between Luca and Anna turns into a very close emotional bonding and I would leave it to the readers to find out more about this love triangle by jumping deep into this ocean of love.
This story has been written in a purely contemporary setting and deals with an issue where emotions and feelings of a career oriented woman are at war with her will to live an independent lifestyle. The author has been successful at resurfacing the insecure feelings of a woman and the fits she throws herself in while being in love and at the same trying to find meaning by balancing her career into the equation of a purposeful life. The way the writer sketches out the inner feelings and self-dialogue boxes of the characters is commendable and realistic. It depicts the writer’s art in understanding the depth of human emotions as the journey of self-infliction is very hard to paint outside the human heart.
There were no intimate scenes in the book and no extra details were given. A peculiar aspect of the author’s writing style that I liked the most was that everything was covered so hastily without lingering on to too much details but it seems that she has mastered it well to do justice with every character and the overall plot in conveying the true meaning of the story. Some of the handy tips and tricks were also mentioned regarding raw eggs for puffy eyes and rice bowl for phone battery. The reader also gets an additional opportunity to travel to Italy as scenic beauty of monuments and places is well-written. There were no major typographical errors in the books; rather there was only one minor typo which did not hinder the quality of the content and the reading process.
However, I would like to suggest about the font style of the book which, according to my opinion, could have been chosen to be slightly more impressive and i suspect the printed version would have been a delight to read in contrast to the digital version I came across. I happened to read this book in my December holidays and it was worth the experience. This book clearly deserves 4.5 out of 5 as it nicely weaves the characters into the mainstream plot with a light humor in some occasional places. I am pretty sure the book would appeal particularly to those readers who are interested in taking any wrong turn in hope of finding a right guy. As it’s the fate, destiny and pleasant coincidences which wash away the most amazing people and memories we happily agree to cherish our entire lives.
Profile Image for Carol Cassada.
Author 39 books106 followers
June 23, 2017
Wrong Turn, Right Guy focuses on the main character, Teresa, who’s spent her entire life working as an attorney. With a hectic work schedule, Teresa has little time for anything else. Yet, she has the chance to unwind when she’s set to go to Italy for her best friend’s wedding. But her travel plans are thwarted when her boss wants to stay and work on a case. On the spur of the moment, Teresa quits her job to go on her vacation. While on her trip to Italy, Teresa’s mind is preoccupied with her next step in life. A chance encounter with a handsome stranger has Teresa, realizing that there could be more to life than just work.

The book has everything you look for in a good love story. Of course, it has the romance elements, plus there are lots of humorous moments. My favorite scenes are when Teresa and her mother are exploring Italy, yet everytime they turn around they seem to have some sort of bad luck. The banter between Teresa and her mother was great; I liked how they could go from arguing about their trip to have serious talks about love. As for Teresa’s relationship with Luca, the handsome stranger, I liked how their romance steadily developed. There was a connection between them at first, yet as they spent time together, doubts clouded Teresa’s mind. Teresa’s resistance is one of the things that made their romance stick out. She was in love, yet her mind was telling her to be rational.

One of the great things about the book is how the author describes all the cities of Italy. The visions of the ruins and cathedrals in Rome and Siena makes you believe you’re actually in Italy, exploring the cities. Just reading about the sights in Italy will make you want to hop on a plane and go there.

I loved the mixture of romance and comedy that Teresa provided. The mishaps she had throughout the story added to the emotional turmoil she was experiencing. The more bad luck that occurred the more you as a reader hoped she’d find her happy ending. Even though I enjoyed the story, there are times where I felt it dragged on too much. For instance, I thought some of the sightseeing adventures could’ve been cut short in order to save time and move the story forward.
Profile Image for Mary.
340 reviews51 followers
August 20, 2017
Teresa was working for a prestigious law firm, and had been for several years without taking any time off for herself. She was looking forward to her upcoming vacation to Italy, where she would be Maid of Honor at Anna's wedding. But her boss had other ideas. He wanted her to dive into a case, working eighty plus hours a week and be available 24/7. It was either the job or turn in her resignation by end of day.

Teresa, not wanting to miss an opportunity of a lifetime, turned in her resignation. The entire time she fretted about not having a job. Her mother traveled with her to Italy. While out sight-seeing a day before the wedding, they took a wrong turn and ended up going the wrong direction. They were literally out in the middle of nowhere when their rental car broke down. Not having any choice, they started walking.

They came upon a farmhouse and the gentleman out front waved them down. Thankfully, he spoke English. He heard their dilemma, but his car was in the shop and all he had was a moped. He called a friend who came over immediately. He was gracious enough to drive Teresa and her mother to the wedding location.

During the drive, he flirted with Teresa. Later that evening, he supposedly broke off his engagement to someone else. He invited Teresa to stay with him at the farmhouse with he and his friend so they could get to know each other better.

Through a series of events, she ends up spending more time in Italy. She has fallen in love with one of the two men. But she still feels as though something is missing from her life, and abruptly moves home to San Diego.

After being home for two weeks, the one she fell in love with surprises her by showing up on her doorstep. They end up eloping, while his parents are planning a wedding in Italy.

After the elopement, he returns to Italy, while she remains in San Diego. When she returns to Italy for the planned wedding, she has a little surprise of her own.

It was an interesting read. A good romance. I was definitely frustrated with the characters from time to time. But overall, I liked the story.
Profile Image for Genna .
12 reviews
October 2, 2017
Fun read

I felt that this was a fun, decent read with enough innuendo to excite but clean enough to not embarrass (that's a thin road to travel). The characters were fun and entertaining to follow. It was a somewhat straightforward plot of girl meets boy, but there were enough twists along the way that I maintained an interest.
Overall it was a good book and I would recommend it to those who enjoy a good romance novel.
744 reviews4 followers
May 13, 2018
What do you do when you are a workaholic attorney who just got fired by her boss for refusing to take a case that would mean missing your best friend's wedding in Italy. An event you planned for and had travel arrangements and everything else done. Oh and you take your mother to the wedding. You find a guy, but he's all about self.
Profile Image for Alicia Oldham.
9 reviews3 followers
March 5, 2017
It was a decent read

The beginning was kind of slow and had way too many unimportant events that wasn't related to the main story at all. Basically it was too much filler material in the novel. It didn't get interesting until the main character, Tessa finally met the guys that the story would revolve around. Even after their introduction, it was rushed and I couldn't sense any chemistry between any of the characters. Near the ending, it felt more like a love story than Tessa just writing about her day in a journal. I did enjoy that the author made it a story where the main character is trying to get her life on track and is experiencing bew things. Overall, it was a decent read.
Profile Image for Chris .
111 reviews3 followers
July 29, 2014
United States or Italy

United States or Italy

What a great book I really enjoyed reading this one. Teresa goes from working 12 years without any kind of vacation or days off to losing her job through choice of going to Italy and giving up her attorney job because she won't give in to doing an important case over her friends wedding.

Choosing to go to Italy for the wording she has more outcome from what she was planning on doing. Teresa and her mother were gone a few days earlier to Italy so they can do some sightseeing and make sure that they were there in time for Anna's wedding.

There's a lot of things that go on before the wedding and after so read this book and enjoy. Is Italy the place for Teresa or the United States? The book has quite a few adventures and it was really enjoyable I hope you really enjoy reading it as much as I did.

Happy reading!
Profile Image for Cayla.
1,092 reviews36 followers
June 3, 2016
Tessa (Theresa) is incredibly lost and she doesn't really know it. After twelve years as a successful attorney, she walks away from it all to ensure that she's available for her best friend's wedding. (I love a person who can keep her word.) She's unemployed, so she's not in the right mood to enjoy the beauty of Italy. She's not even soaking up the culture and having fun! But when Alex and Luca enter the picture, it all changes...and at some point, I think she finally begins to comprehend what she really wants out of life.
4,374 reviews28 followers
August 25, 2014
Good

Good

the book was a lot about learning to believe in one's self and how relationships work.the people who find themselves .
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews

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