Wednesday 27 July 2022

Where the Magic Is - Giselle Green


Sofia’s due to marry rich Rio businessman, Cristian… only, she’s just learnt that her daughter Ida is about to lose her eyesight. When she decides to take Ida on one last ‘memory trip’ to the Scottish Highlands, Sofia’s impoverished family become alarmed. So close to the big wedding, she’s forced to keep the real reason for her trip a secret…

Handsome Scotsman Cal’s a dream tour guide… but he’s got some secrets of his own. Unknown to the others, caring Cal usually works as a male escort… a job which keeps him trapped and compromised, and also keeps any real chance of love at bay. Meeting the girls, Cal is poignantly about to reconnect with the side of him that once longed for more.

Meanwhile, Sofia’s faced with the dilemma of how best to support Ida whilst keeping her fiancĂ© and family on side.

Questioning how ‘free’ she really is… Sofia’s now forced to consider what price she’s prepared to pay, to follow her conscience and her heart?
 

What did I think?

Where the Magic Is is a love story with a difference; set in Brazil and Scotland, it has family at its heart with two brilliant main characters, one who has lost his family and one who would do anything for hers.  I love Giselle Green's books, they really speak to the reader's heart whilst her characters experience a wealth of emotions.   

Sofia's upcoming wedding is a dream come true...for her family.  They are finally going up in the world as Sofia is about to marry into a rich and powerful family in Rio de Janeiro.  With wedding plans fully underway, Sofia's daughter Ida gets some distressing news: she is losing her eyesight and nothing can be done to save it.  Sofia is not willing to give up without a fight so she takes Ida to an experimental clinic in England, under the guise of a trip to the Scottish Highlands where Ida's favourite movie was set.

Former military man Cal is working as a male escort when he spots his commanding officer drowning his sorrows in the pub.  Ray can't afford to take time off from his job as a tour guide to recover from a back injury, so Cal offers to step in and cover for him.  One of Ray's jobs is take two Brazilians to the Scottish Highlands...

Of course, a romance blossoms between Cal and Sofia but it's not straightforward at all.  Sofia has Ida and her whole family to think of and Cal has demons of his own to face.  It was an absolute delight to see how Cal and Sofia's relationship grew, but it was Ida who stole the show for me.  Ida may be losing her sight, but she sees joy in everything.  Her enthusiasm is contagious, and the scenery is painted so vividly, that I felt as if I was touring the Highlands with them.

Truly magical from start to finish, Where the Magic Is is so beautifully written it completely warmed my heart and made me appreciate things that we usually take for granted.  Highly recommended.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

1 comment:

  1. Thank you so much for your lovely, thoughtful review, Michelle - I am so happy you loved it!

    ReplyDelete