Sparked by a desire to experience something different, Kiera embarks on a four-week journey to Portugal, expecting nothing more than a break from her everyday life. But when she meets the enigmatic Dylan, the chemistry between them is undeniable.
As the days in Portugal pass by, Kiera is forced to make a decision: go back to her old life or take a chance on a new one with Dylan. Does love really conquer all, or will her dreams of a new life fade away? Life can change in an instant though. After all, it only takes a minute…
Sasha Lane is known for her contemporary romance novels - they’re funny, relatable, and addictive.
Chick lit style with a hint of darkness.
Sasha says ‘I try to create characters that are everyday women so hopefully readers can find something about their personality or lifestyle that they can relate to and fall in love with them as much as I have while writing about them.
The idea behind my books is to show the challenges of everyday women trying to balance jobs/careers, with family, friends and relationships. It’s hard, and sometimes you have to laugh at yourself, which the main character, Emma, does, but I also wanted to show how important friendship is too at keeping us all sane!’
What if you could live in a different country for four weeks?
Life can change in an instant. After all, it only takes a minute…
Keira spends her days working in a bank, the same job she has had since leaving school. After breaking up with her boyfriend she makes an uncharacteristic spur of the moment decision to book a four week solo holiday in Portugal on for some sun, sea, pastries (they played a big part in her choice of destination 😉) and relaxation.
On her first day there she makes friends with the local bar owners, meets the sexy Dylan and her life gets turned around. The author's descriptions conjure up images of the beautiful beaches, scenic surroundings and sexy locals as you read about Keira's time in Portugal. She makes friends, goes sightseeing, swims, drinks (lots of) good wine eats delicious food and maybe finds a little romance. And after the holiday? You will have to read it and find out!
This Is a short book, very undemanding to read, so it's ideal for reading on holiday, preferably on a sunlounger with a cocktail in hand, or curled up in front of the fire dreaming of sun-kissed destinations. It's not my usual choice and it was quite unrealistic, especially in terms of the speed of the friendship developing between Keira and Claudette, and the rapid nature of Dylan's declaration, but then it is fiction! Having said that, it was a nice, gentle read and I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a relaxing read and a bit of escapism.
Many thanks to the author and random things tours for the gifted e-book in exchange for an honest review.
After breaking up with her boyfriend of four years Keira decides she needs some time to herself. She takes a sabbatical off work to spend four weeks in Portugal. That’s where she bumps into Dylan (Mr Washboard Abs). For four weeks Keira lives a different life, starts to spend more time with Dylan until they enter into what they would call a friends with benefits arrangement. However will this arrangement turn into a holiday romance? Once Keira becomes comfortable in her new life will she want to return to her old one?
The first thing I have to say is that this book should have a warning on it and that warning is when you read this book firstly you’ll wish that you were in Portugal and secondly you’ll wish that you were having a holiday romance. This was such a quick and sweet read. It was one of the loveliest novellas I’ve read in such a long time.
I absolutely fell in love with the story and the writing style. When I was first introduced to Keira I found that we shared a lot of the same characteristics. We both share a big love for the beach and she describes how whatever the weather as soon as she goes on holiday she has to dip her toes in the sea and go for a walk along the beach. These are also my favourite pastimes and holiday rituals. Keira is not one to make impulsive decisions as she always thinks things through thoroughly and she doesn’t like to reach outside of her comfort zone. However after her relationship ends she finds herself making that first impulsive decision to spend four weeks in Portugal on her own. Another big step for Keira is although she’s wary of Dylan to begin with she starts to trust him the more time she spends with him. As for Dylan what can I say other than he sounded handsome, charming and a bit of a dreamboat. His carefree attitude and impulsiveness seem to transfer to Keira and they complemented each other perfectly. Their chemistry was there from their first meet cute. From the first page I was thrown into Keira’s world and wished I was in Portugal with her. One of my favourite scenes had to be the one where Keira and Dylan star gaze on the beach. As for the ending it was everything I was hoping for and the ending I would have wanted for Keira and Dylan.
This is the first book that I’ve read by the author and it definitely won’t be the last.
My Thoughts: how much can your life change in 4 weeks? – enough to leave a lasting impression?
We’re following Keira who has decided to take a sabbatical from work & go travelling, the only problem is she doesn’t do things like this, she’s not spontaneous in the slightest and has never travelled on her own before, but her best friend is married with a little girl and another baby on the way & she’s not long since split up with her now ex boyfriend… so she’s feeling a little stuck.
After basing her travel destination on a pastel de nata, she quickly books her flights and accommodation before she changes her mind.
This book is perfect to just lose yourself in for an afternoon, the perfect escape it kind of made me wish I was on holiday 😂
Sun, sea, new friends who own a bar and a gorgeous man to keep you company.. what more could you need?
This story was funny, funny enough to have me laughing out loud whilst also being realistic and relatable, I found myself shaking my head at some of the situations Kiera found herself in.
I loved Dylan from the start. I can’t explain why but he just completely won me over, I was definitely in his corner.
I read this book in one sitting, I just couldn’t put it down, definitely one I would recommend to fans of the romance genre
This is such a cute and fun novella and I enjoyed it so much. I’m a sucker for travel romance so this one really hit the spot for me. It contains everything I love in a romance book. It’s a quick and easy one sitting read and is perfect for some escapism. It is my first taste of Sasha Lane but I am definitely going to be checking out more of her titles after this one. When Keira’s relationship takes an unexpected turn, she makes an impulsive decision to spend four weeks in sunny Portugal. Thing is…..will she want to return to her everyday life at the end? I loved visiting Portugal with Keira. It’s a place I have never been but I felt as though I was experience it with Keira and through her eyes. What I wouldn’t give to throw caution to the wind and take off for a month. The chemistry between Keira and Dylan was really well written and I felt tense whilst I waited to find out their fate. This is such a fun book to read and my only complaint was that I could have read so much more about Keira and Dylan – I’d love it if this turned into a linked series somehow so we can follow up.
When Kiera’s boyfriend Jacob calls it a day on their relationship , she decides to do something spontaneous and takes a four week sabbatical from work for a trip to Portugal.
She’s gone away to forget about Jacob and the ruined relationship; what she didn’t plan for was meeting a handsome stranger on here travels.
This was a really easy, short read and this novella had everything you’d want for a summer read.
I was routing for Kiera and Dylan throughout and when she had to leave after her four weeks I was expecting him to be waiting at her door for her.
If you’re a fan of spice, this novella isn’t for you, but if you like a clean romance book then I’d certainly recommend it for a quick read.
Aah I loved this. As is so often the case with novellas I just wish it was a full length book. I would love to have had more detail about these guys, see how the meeting with the ex panned out, find out what job she got in Portugal and had more fleshed out conversations. Just a really nice easy read that made me want to travel to somewhere sunny.
Loved this novella! Such a nice story about Kiera and her choice to take a sabbatical for a month and try things that are new to her. Her work and normal life felt like it was stuck in a rut and something needed to change. Recently single, she wanted somewhere to go to get away, do something just for her, new sights, experiences and possibly make new friends along the way.
This book is about taking the bull by the horns, trying new things and letting your mood lead the way. Sometimes you need to do what's good for you otherwise you get stuck and can't get out.
Loved the writing style and already looking to read more by this author!
A fabulous beach read. It is a novella, so could easily be read in one or two sittings. Great characters and straight forward but engaging storyline. Definitely a fab holiday read! 🏖
The writing was light, enjoyable and had me hooked from the beginning. I particularly liked the detail of the little things, it really brought the story to life without feeling like it was extra padding. It was cleverly done in that a lot of information was given, yet it didn't drag and the story had an excellent pace to it. Nothing felt rushed and there was good closure at the end.
The chapters were mainly short with a couple of longer ones thrown in to make you want to keep on reading.
The main character was likable and I enjoyed being on her journey of discovery. The story had a chatty style that focussed mainly on her thoughts with the small details and conversations as secondary. I enjoyed this writing style as I didn't have to think too much and I could just enjoy it for what it was.
Lastly the settings. I loved being in Portugal and I enjoyed the way that the places and the food that the main character was eating was described. It was done in a neat manner that added to the story, rather than diverted your attention.
Overall I really enjoyed this story and wouldn't mind reading more rom com novellas. I highly recommend it if you just want a light read.
I’ve enjoyed reading this novella. I thought it was really well written and the characters are well developed. I liked the banter between Keira and Dylan. I loved the Portugal setting, it’s made me want to book a holiday there. Overall I thought it was a nice sweet romance with a little bit of spice and a great quick read that is perfect for those hot beach days. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I’m looking forward to reading more.
It’s an easy read that you could get through in an afternoon on a sun-lounger. . It’s everything you’d want in a holiday romance, I instantly loved Dylan. I enjoyed reading about the holiday romance that developed between him and Kiera as well as the friendship Kiera struck up with Claudette. . Considering it’s length there was still plenty of tension between Kiera and Dylan and plenty happened to keep the storyline moving along. With its wonderful descriptions of Portugal, good eats and a handsome leading man this was a great summer beach read.
What if you could live in a different country for four weeks? What if you could live a different life for four weeks? That’s what this was supposed to be. Four weeks of sun, sea, and cocktails. I wasn’t supposed to fall in love. Do I go back to my old life, or risk starting a brand new one? Does that really happen in real life, or just in the movies? Life can change in an instant though. After all, it only takes a minute…
I really enjoyed following Keira to Portugal in this lovely novella. After she breaks up with her boyfriend, Keira decides to take a 4 week solo holiday to Portugal to experience something new. She meets a kind hearted couple who run the local bar and then runs into, literally, Dylan. He came out on a holiday and decided to stay. He and Keira get very friendly and she worries about getting too close before she has to leave. Dylan tries to talk her into staying but she can’t just leave everything behind in England, can she? A good, romance short story, with great characters and a happy, some may say predictable, ending. I didn’t mind that it was slightly predictable though, it was just what I needed and a fun, uplifting story. I also now want to visit Portugal!! Perfect for holiday romance fans and a lovely dose of sunshine.
SYNOPSIS: "What if you could live in a different country for four weeks? If you could live a different life for four weeks? That’s what this was supposed to be. Four weeks of sun, sea, and cocktails. I wasn’t supposed to fall in love. Do I go back to my old life, or risk starting a brand new one? Does that really happen in real life, or just in the movies? Life can change in an instant though. After all, it only takes a minute…"
Now I bet you can't get the song out of your head?
MY THOUGHTS:
✔️ I little novella of love, sun, sea and ... but don't worry for the closed-door romance readers like me the spice is minimal.
✔️ My mind was whisked away to sunny Portugal for a few hours as I watched a budding holiday romance.
✔️ Sweet, simple, lovely, sunny romance.
✔️ 160 pages of romantic escapism.
**Thanks to Random Things Book Tours for a free copy of this book in return for an honest review**
🏖 It just shows that your life can change in a minute, sometimes in the most amazing way, and I am very thankful that I am living proof of that. - Sasha Lane
🏖 All Kiera wants is an escape from reality. Four weeks in a different country. Four weeks of sun, sea and cocktails. She wasn’t suppose to fall in love. But life has different plans for her. Life can change in an instant though. After all, it only takes a minute….
🏖 Okay so this was such a cute and refreshing beach read. As it’s a novella so I was easily able to finish it in one sitting. When it comes to insta love, I am not a big fan but it didn’t stop me either from enjoying this book. Talking about the main characters, I loved their cute little banters. Though I did have some reservations with Kiera’s life choices but I loved this thing about Dylan that he was 100% sure about what he wants.
🏖 And that talk about Portuguese coffee and pastries. 😭☕️ Now I am actually craving for some while writing this review. I won’t say that this was rom com at its best but it’s definitely worth reading. And trust me you won’t be disappointed. Thanks to the author for the ebook in exchange of an honest review.
This was an easy summery beach read, a short novella that tells of Kiera, who needs a change of scene after the end of her long term relationship.
She decides to go to Portugal for a 4 week sabbatical, where she meets some lovely people and a handsome new love interest.
My thoughts on this: it was an easy read, very easy flowing and enough to keep me reading. It's very short and I read this in one sitting.
For me, my main issue was the lack of oomph. I didn't get any feels when the main couple met, didn't get that anticipation or build up or anything that comes with a romance. I felt like it was like reading a newspaper article on how they met. Or something in woman's weekly. It was all so fast, with no build up and a lack of engaging prose.
I'm one for the build up, the chemistry and atmospheric rush which in this case I just didn't get.
It was sweet, the character was nice and it was often repeated how "sensible" she was, to heighten her impulsive choices in the book. It had a lot of potential to be a great book, it just fell a little short for me.
finished in a day. so cute. actually had some insightful quotes in it that were pleasantly surprising. my main gripe with the book is that I wish it was longer!! there was so much to explore with the story and I wish it was a full length book. there were also a few writing errors, but nothing crazy. other than that, it was really cute and an easy read. definitely recommend!
3.25 This was a nice, short, easy summer romance read. I only wish there was more showing of love and affection rather than telling between the characters
I really wanted this book to be good, but it was terrible - shallow, poorly developed and written characters. I so wanted to be able to relate to the escapism the character craved, but I couldn't empathize with her.